Coffee from the Hill Tractsপাহাড়ের কফি: Chittagong Hill Tracts

Bangladesh imports almost all of its coffee. A government project in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is trying to change part of that story by growing coffee at home.

The project

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) are jointly running a Tk 211.84 crore project to promote coffee and cashew nut cultivation through modern technology and research, as The Daily Star reported in June 2024.

• About 2,000 hectares are under cashew and coffee combined, with a target of 6,000 hectares.
• About 220 hectares of coffee had been planted under the project across the region.
• BARI gives up to 500 high-yielding coffee plants free to landholders and sells saplings at Tk 40 each.
• 75 DAE horticulture centres produce commercial coffee seedlings at government-fixed prices.
• A modern field lab is running at BARI in Khagrachhari.

Why Robusta

The report notes that Robusta grows well at altitudes of 500 to 1,000 metres with 1,000 to 2,000 mm of rainfall. Those conditions match large parts of the hill districts.

500 to 1,000 metres. 1,000 to 2,000 mm of rain.

Growing the cherry is only the first step. Processing, roasting and quality control decide whether hill-grown coffee reaches a café menu. We will keep following the farms, the processors and the first roasters working with local beans.