Diktel Municipality Launches 'Deputy Mayor Production Campaign' to Boost Coffee Farming and Employment

Khotang. The 'Deputy Mayor Production Campaign' program has been launched with the objective of connecting the local residents of Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality with production and self-employment. The municipality has started the Deputy Mayor Production Campaign program by allocating a budget of Rs 15 million for the current financial year.

Under the Deputy Mayor Production Campaign program, areas with potential for coffee cultivation are identified, and farmers are provided with free coffee saplings and technical support. The Deputy Mayor Production Campaign program has been initiated with the goal of making farmers self-employed in their own locality and producing ten lakh kilograms of processed coffee annually.

Under the Mahabhiyan, preparations are being made to plant 2.8 million coffee saplings in at least eight hectares of land within the municipality this year, said Deputy Mayor Bishon Rai. "Our main goal is to provide employment to the youth power in the village itself. This Mahabhiyan will also utilize barren land. It will also increase the income of the locals. Especially, we want to create opportunities for self-employment in the country for the youth going for foreign employment," he said, "By advancing coffee cultivation commercially, there is a plan to develop the municipality as a 'coffee hub' in the future." Due to the campaign started by the municipality, farmers who have been traditionally cultivating kodo, maize, and paddy for years have been attracted to commercial coffee cultivation.

Farmers have expressed confidence that the Deputy Mayor Production Campaign program operated by the municipality will prove to be a cornerstone in making them self-reliant and improving their economic condition. The municipality has already provided technical knowledge related to commercial coffee cultivation to the farmers before distributing coffee saplings.

According to the municipality, farmers in villages are currently digging pits vigorously to plant coffee as per the municipality's campaign. The municipality has stated that the enthusiasm shown by the farmers for planting coffee indicates that the Deputy Mayor Production Campaign program will be successful.

Under the Deputy Mayor Production Campaign program operated by the municipality, employment has also been generated in nurseries producing coffee saplings. Under the coffee cultivation promotion program started last year, coffee nurseries have been produced in Wards No. 6 Nerpa and Ward No. 14 Buipa.

Anjana Rizal of Nerpa said that the Deputy Mayor Production Campaign program operated by the municipality has provided employment in her own village, at a time when there is a compulsion to go to cities or abroad for employment. This Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality, the largest local level in the district (with fifteen wards), started the coffee promotion program last year.

Mayor Rai said that the Deputy Mayor Production Campaign program operated by the municipality will not only make barren land green but also provide great support to the local economy. "When coffee starts to bloom on the hillsides, this municipality's identity will not be limited to just a hilly town. This municipality will be known as a coffee hub," he said, "The demand for coffee in the district has increased significantly. Currently, capital exceeding Rs 200 million flows out annually for coffee. The municipality aims to meet the demand for coffee throughout the district within the next few years."

The municipality has stated that 82,000 saplings were distributed free of charge to farmers last year by identifying pocket areas for commercial coffee cultivation. This year, with a plan to distribute 2.2 million coffee saplings free of charge, about three lakh saplings have been distributed to farmers.

In this municipality with fifteen wards, there are 28,703 hectares of cultivable land, and the target is to plant 14 million coffee saplings. It has been stated that 5 million saplings are being prepared for production this year with the aim of earning up to Rs 2 billion annually.

The Deputy Mayor Production Campaign program has been operated by forming 44 groups within the municipality for the coffee cultivation promotion program. After it was proven that coffee can be produced anywhere between 800 meters and 1600 meters above sea level, 20 drilling machines have been utilized for digging pits for commercial coffee cultivation.

Deputy Mayor Rai informed that 70-80 local people are getting employment daily in the Deputy Mayor Production Campaign program. The coffee cultivation promotion program has been implemented with the intention of processing the coffee produced by the farmers within the municipality.

Most of the local levels in this district, which has ten local levels, have implemented coffee and tea promotion programs. Farmers have also become enthusiastic after the local levels implemented production-based programs in their respective areas.