Increasing demand for coffee seedlings in Gulmi

June 14, Kathmandu: The demand for coffee seedlings is surging in Glumi and the surrounding area, but the Coffee Development Centre in Aapchaur is struggling to meet it.

Farmers have requested 200,000 seedlings, but the centre has only produced 70,000 due to limited resources and staff.

Founded in 1984 by the Late King Birendra, the centre is a key hub for horticulture and seed production.

Seedlings are sold at Rs. 40 each, and about 50 temporary workers are hired during the coffee season. Currently, 12,000 seedlings are growing in the centre’s garden, with 60,000 more in six nurseries.

Coffee is cultivated on 300 hectares in Gulmi, and organisations are actively promoting its farming.

This means the centre can’t keep up with the high demand for coffee seedlings, even as coffee farming grows in the region.