A steaming cup of potent java is the elixir that gets our days started. It is the fuel on which the working professional runs and it is the best way to invigorate the body and mind after a long, busy day. Caffeine in tea and coffee helps to alleviate fatigue and allows the mind to remain alert and agile. Rated as the second most popular drink around the world after tea, coffee has gained notable popularity among the netizens of Bangladesh.
Cultivating a Coffee Culture
Although the country has a long and successful history of tea cultivation, a little-known fact about Bangladesh is that coffee can be grown here. The seed was sowed during the beginning of the century with the government taking the initiative to hand out coffee saplings to farmers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to give it a go.
Coffee cultivation is not restricted to just the south of the country. Tea cultivation is being expanded in the northern region and according to the Department of Agricultural Extension, the soil in the region is comparatively less prone to drought making it promising for coffee cultivation in the northern district of Rangpur. It should also be noted that the import-reliant bean that used to be shipped in from Brazil and Vietnam is being locally cultivated in Tangail too.
Optimum Climate and Conditions
Mildly acidic and fertile reddish loam soil rich in iron, potassium, nitrogen, and organic matter is ideal for coffee cultivation. It is also necessary to plant shade trees such as ipil ipil, acacia, and banana in the garden to protect the coffee plant from the intense sunlight. For coffee trees to thrive, elevation, consistent rainfall, and volcanic soil are needed.
According to the Upazila Agriculture Department, hot (20°C-30°C) and humid climate and 150-200cm rainfall are appropriate per year for coffee cultivation. However, dry weather is required during the fruit ripening season. Coffee cherries, which encases the coffee bean, need to be picked only when they are bright red in color and fully ripe. The cherries are then peeled, dried out in the sun, and then processed.
The initiative by the agriculture department to produce coffee seedlings on a large scale and to supply them to surrounding districts at a reasonable price is expected to make the region meet the coffee demands of half the country in the coming five years. Growing coffee is also good for the environment as it can be grown bio-dynamically without costly fertilizers or agrochemicals. Coffee plantation is actually good for the hill tracts, which has a major erosion problem.
Creating Coffee Connoisseurs
Even though several coffee gardens were planted in the hill districts in the last few years, the initiative really hit stride when Rick Hubbard, an American national having worked previously with Starbucks took it upon himself a decade ago.
The Coffee Master, Hubbard has been dedicated to every step. Starting from distributing saplings to training farmers on processing the coffee berry, Hubbard has also collaborated with non-governmental organizations as well as the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Today, coffee is grown in three districts of CHT on a large scale — Bandarban, Khagrachhari, and Rangamati — and in Tangail, Rangpur, and Nilphamari on an experimental basis.
Subsequently, in various northern districts, there has been a significant expansion of coffee cultivation. In Taraganj upazila, the soil and climate are optimum for both tea and coffee cultivation. This has led to several tea gardens being established in the region with the huge potential for continued and sustained coffee cultivation. It is now dependent on the farmers to market it at fair prices and create opportunities for the lucrative bean to be cultivated commercially in the plants in Taraganj. If this is successfully done, then coffee produced in this region will be able to meet local demand and in turn, reduce dependency on imported coffee.
If farmers can market it at fair prices, opportunities will be created to cultivate coffee commercially in Taraganj and thus the coffee produced in the region will be able to meet local demand as well as reduce import dependency.
Government Initiative and Way Forward
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension, today there are around 400 farmers involved in coffee farming. The government is keen to have more farmers involved in this endeavour. In order to facilitate this, the DAE has taken up a project worth Tk 200 crore which is still under process. Under this project, farmers employed can earn Tk 3 lakh after spending Tk 50,000 on seedlings.
As there is a huge demand for coffee in Bangladesh and abroad and farmers are also interested, the government also wants the production of the crop in 1-2 lakh hectares of lands at least for the next term. In fiscal 2019-20, the total coffee production in Bangladesh was about 55.75 tonnes from 118.3 hectares of land, according to the DAE.
According to the Horticulture Wing of the DAE, given the flexibility and the availability of modern processing machines and technology, coffee’s cultivation will increase. At present, there are about 1.8 lakh coffee trees. The goal is to have a sustained supply of coffee beans and that can be done once there are about 2 lakh mature coffee trees. After processing, 300 kg of coffee cherries becomes 80 kg of coffee beans. The cultivation of coffee farms have led to the creation of many jobs. Through this innovative enterprise, workers involved in coffee cultivatioon have been able to sustain their livelihoods and families with the salaries they are earning from the gardens.
The Department of Agricultural Extension is implementing the project – it began in July 2020 and will continue till June 2025. Under the project, high yielding varieties of coffee will be developed. This will have a positive impact on the livelihoods of farmers in hill areas as these two cash crops can be grown on unused land with low investment.
After successfully meeting local demand, the governemt plans to increase the country’s export earning with this product. In turn, this initiative will assist in reducing poverty and also provide nutirtion. The DAE will organize a total of 5,250 exhibititons for cofee during the implementation period. The project will also provide training to 49,500 farmers and 480 officials of the department. This includes foreign training and exposure visits for DAE employees and scientists. A total of 500 solar irrigation units will be set up in hilly areas where farmers will be provide with 1,350 coffee processing sets. Coffee cultivation has tremendous prospects for farmers, coffee enthusiasts and the country. It will bring in new technology, new skills and open up an industry that surpasses global standards.
