Rising global demand boosts Nepali tea and coffee exports

The demand for Nepali tea and coffee in the international market is steadily rising.

According to the National Tea and Coffee Development Board, 77 metric tons of coffee were exported in the fiscal year 2022-23, up from 72 metric tons worth Rs 96m in the previous fiscal year. Data collection for the current fiscal year 2023-24 is underway.

On the import side, coffee imports totaled 450 metric tons worth Rs 320m in the fiscal year 2021-22. This dropped significantly to Rs 100m in the following year, a decrease of around Rs 220m.

Board Director Deepak Khanal noted that recent improvements in the coffee farming environment and cultivation expansion have boosted production. Coffee is now cultivated on 3,659 hectares of land, with about 33,000 farmers involved.

International demand for Nepali coffee stands at around 14,000 metric tons. Commercial coffee farming occurs in 43 districts, including Gulmi, Palpa, Arghakhanchi, Lalitpur, Tanahu, Kavre, Sindhupalchowk, Lamjung, Kaski, Gorkha, Syangja, Parbat, and Baglung.

For tea, exports reached Rs 3.8bn in fiscal year 2021-22, with an increase of around Rs 140m the following year. The country has 161 tea industries, employing approximately 60,000 workers, according to Board officer Chandra Puri.