Baitadi, May 16: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Damodar Bhandari, has inaugurated commercial coffee farming at Patan in Baitadi district today. He inaugurated commercial coffee sapling plantation programme. 

On the occasion, Minister Bhandari said coffee cultivation would help in income generation by developing and promoting coffee farming and achieve concrete achievements in poverty alleviation. 

He mentioned, “Baitadi is the district which has not been given appropriate attention by the federal government despite having potential of different agriculture products, forest products, and minerals. Now we are going to change the situation. We have been firmly involving in creating employment and awareness of economic prosperity in the district utilizing such potential at coordination of different tiers of government.”

Stating that demand of coffee is growing in the country, Minister Bhandari mentioned that the internal demand of coffee has not been fulfilled from domestic production. 

He further said that the country has not been able to export coffee as per the international demand, sharing that “It is necessary to make Nepali coffee production commercial and result-oriented.” 

According to the Ministry, the programme was launched from Baitadi under the programme of launching coffee farming in Nepal from this year with technical and financial support of the European Union. (RSS)