Kalimpong Coffee, the next best offer from Darjeeling Hills after Tea

Plans were being envisaged in 2018 about planting coffee on the slopes of the hills in Kalimpong. West Bengal government and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) have now decided to develop another area in the state's sub-himalayan region, but with a different beverage – coffee. The state government has brought in saplings of Arabic Chandragiri variety of coffee from Karnataka's Chikmagalur and distributed them for planting in and around Kalimpong.

Kalimpong (West Bengal): Darjeeling tea is exquisite in flavour, rich in aroma and tea connoisseurs swear by it across the globe.

The West Bengal government and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) have now decided to develop another area in the state's sub-Himalayan region, but with a different beverage – coffee.

The state government's horticulture department, the agriculture department and the GTA have started work on the project.

“Plans were being envisaged in 2018 about planting coffee on the slopes of the hills in Kalimpong. Cinchona plantation division in Mangpu had been spearheading the project. 64 villages have been earmarked for coffee plantation, where the plantation will be done under the brand of “Kalimpong Coffee”. Around 1,232 farmers have already been selected and 7.20 lakh coffee saplings have been distributed among them,” said Senior Scientific Officer of Kalimpong horticulture division, Mahadeb Chetri.

“Around 412 acres of land encompassing the villages of Shangsey Bhalukhop, Gitaboling, Loley, Algarah and others have been brought under the command area earmarked for coffee plantation in Kalimpong Block 1, 2 and 3. Now, we will be imparting training to the planters on how to grow coffee saplings from seeds,” Chetri said adding, there has been a marked decline in enthusiasm to grow ginger, cardamom and oranges in the villages close to Kalimpong.

The state government has brought in saplings of Arabic Chandragiri variety of coffee from Karnataka's Chikmagalur and distributed them for planting in and around Kalimpong.

“We had to focus on the economic development of the people living in the villages who have shown reluctance in traditional cultivation of ginger and cardamom, as they are experiencing less remuneration. Coffee cultivation provides the answer,” said Chetri.

Diversifying the cultivation map of the Hills of West Bengal, Kalimpong Coffee will be there soon after Cinchona. And the planters are hoping that after Darjeeling Tea, Kalimpong Coffee will bridge the distance between the cup and the lip again.