Government of NepalNational Tea and Coffee Development Board

Coffee plantation is still a new adventure in Nepal. In 1938 AD, a hermit Mr Hira Giri had brought some seeds of Coffee from Sindu Province of Myanmar (the then Burma) and had planted in Aapchaur of Gulmi District for the first time in Nepal. The crop remained unnoticed as a curiosity crop until 1970s. Then it spread from one farmer to another as a curiosity plant for about 4 decades.

 In late seventies, expansion of Coffee as commercial crop to some extent took place when Government of Nepal imported Coffee seed from India for distribution. The major shift to commercial Coffee production took place in mid-eighties. After the establishment of Nepal Coffee Company (NeCCo) in Manigram, Rupandehi district, in 1983/84, the Coffee producers were able to sell Coffee. NeCCo used to collect dry cherry from the Coffee producers and processed the Coffee for domestic market. Until early 2000, Coffee producers were not very sure of Coffee being a source of income or income generating crop due to the market problem. However, after the year 2002, substantial increase in the export and also increase in domestic market consumption to some extent motivated Coffee producers to consider Coffee as a major income generating crop.

Respecting the interest of people on Coffee and favorable climatic conditions for its cultivation. Ministry of Agriculture decided to launch Coffee Development Programme in the country. The Government provided technical and financial support to the farmers; its cultivation has gradually spread to about 40 districts of the middle hills of Nepal. Lalitpur, Gulmi, Palpa, Shyangja, Kaski, Sidhupalchowk, Kavre, are some districts known for Coffee production.