Jan. 18, Lamjung,: Farmers of Lamjung district are gradually taking to organic coffee farming though they had kept themselves away from coffee farming after facing various problems.

  Lack of proper market price and required training and absence of any government subsidy and motivation to coffee farmers were the major reasons forcing them to take up alternative farming.

 However, they are now slowly attracted towards organic coffee farming due to proper marketing inside and outside the country. Local farmers are now happy to have organic coffee farming as a major source of their income.

 Farmers in a dozen VDCs including among others Dhamilikuwa, Chakratirtha, Bhalayakgharka, Bharte, Bichaour, Parewadanda, Sundarbazaar, Duradanda, Jita, Kunchha, Bhorletar, Gaunsahar, Khudi, Simpani, Ghanpokhara have taken up organic coffee farming instead of other traditional crops.

  The terrain of district is very fit for coffee farming and the District Agriculture Development Office has also been providing fifty per cent subsidy for farmers in purchase of coffee saplings.      Coffee is being now grown in some 200 hectares of land in the district which produces 45 metric tons of coffee annually, according to the Office. RSS