Six roads indentified as needing work to help coffee growers

Six roads indentified as needing work to help coffee growers

SIX impassable roads in the Highlands have been identified for Government to work on to allow access to rural-based coffee farmers.
The industry coordination committee (ICC) overseeing the Productive Partnerships in Agricultural Project (PPAP) identified these roads:

• 74km Tabigua Station-Koinambe Station (Jimi, Jiwaka);
• 18km Keu-Elimbari-Siane-Keu (Chuave, Simbu);
• 10km Yulip-Maramb and 20km Yulip-Nenembus (Kompiam, Enga)
• 30km Maupini-Wala (Pangia, Southern Highlands); and,
• 50km Lufa Station-Unavi via Gouno road (Lufa, Eastern Highlands).

This link will service more than 50,000 growers in Crater Mountain, a tri-border area where Eastern Highlands, Chimbu and Gulf meet.
ICC chairman Ian Mopafi, pictured, says the unavailability of accessible roads has been the main obstacle against efforts to meet coffee production targets set by the national Government.

“Rural roads in all parts of the country, including coffee-growing provinces, have deteriorated and become impassable,” he said.

“This is making it difficult for 80 per cent of between three and four million growers who are concentrated in the countryside to transport their coffee to the market.

“This is the same story in all the places.

“Growers have come to treat coffee as a social tree because they don’t see the economic value in it.”

The identifying of these roads was done following an invitation by Minister for National Planning and Monitoring Richard Maru to identify key roads for consideration in the 2018-2022 Third Medium Term Development (MTD) Plan.

The invitation was given during the National Planning Consultative Summit in Lae in March this year.

“We can encourage our growers to improve their gardens and to produce better quality coffee, but if there is no road and market access facilities, our effort will become meaningless,” Mopafi said.

Source: The National PNG

Industry hopes pulp machine will boost coffee production

coffee pulp-removing machines and roofing materials

COFFEE farmers in Eastern Highlands will receive coffee pulp-removing machines and roofing materials, according to the Coffee Industry Corporation.

Farmers will be charged five per cent less of the total cost for the hand-pulpers as an initiative to help farmers increase production of quality coffee.
The machines which can be used by hand were launched last week at the Okapa station witnessed by coffee farmers and their families.
Coffee grower Ronah Moses thanked the CIC-PPAP for the hand pulpers, coffee pruning tools and training in areas such as gender equality, family business and leadership.

“The coffee pulpers will remove the stones from women’s hands,” Moses said.

Women in the Okapa District normally use stones to remove the pulp of the coffee.

Moses also said a good road system from Okapa to Goroka was needed to help farmers.

Fairtrade Premium and Coffee Connections also gave 12 sheets of roofing irons to 160 farmers from the eight groups.

PPAP manager Potaisa Hombunaka said they met Okapa MP Saki Hacky Soloma last October to build a 12.9 km road linking Yasubi to Takai or Purosa in Okapa.

The road will serve around 10,000 farmers in the area. Tenders for construction will be put out this month, he said.

• Source: https://www.thenational.com.pg/

Wamena Baliem Valley Arabica Coffee will be certified

Papua Organic Arabica, Wamena Single Origin

Wamena, Jubi – To promote the production of local farmers’ coffee in Jayawijaya Regency, and to guarantee Arabica coffee will not claimed as agricultural products of other regions, the Government of Jayawijaya Regency, Papua Province, began to protect Wamena Arabica Coffee with certification requirements.

Jayawijaya Head of Planning and Regional Development Agency (Bappeda), Petrus Mahuze, claimed to have prepared geographical location, as one of the requirements that must be completed before Arabica coffee gets certified and protection from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.

“We hope that there will be a certification for the local coffee product of Jayawijaya, and through this certification there will be protection for coffee farmers so that no more people (outside Jayawijaya) utilize Wamena coffee for personal benefit,” he said in Wamena, Friday (September 29).

Through the certification, said Peter, all the coffee farmers’ products spread across 40 districts throughout Jayawijaya Regency will be protected by law.

“If the certification is being violated, there are legal sanctions such as prison or a fine at about one billion,” he said.

According to him there was also suggestion to name Baliem Wamena Valley Arabica Coffee on all production.

“If it’s about packaging, it’s okay for the owner of the business or brand itself, but in every brand it should contain a logo that we will provide information on origin of the coffee,” he said.(*)

 

Source: Antara

Editor: Zely Ariane