Gelehi villagers in the Unggai-Bena district of Eastern Highlands Province will trial a mini grid solar power system for lighting and coffee processing.
The Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) piloted project will see solar energy be used to power a coffee pulper for processing coffee, and also provide lighting for homes.
The partnership was forged through a Memorandum of Understanding between the CIC and MG Corporation of Japan.
CIC Research and Growers Services Division general manager Dr Mark Kenny expressed great satisfaction in this new technology.
“The coffee industry has been the mainstay of the smallholder farmers and what CIC intends to is to lead this people under the government’s tree to cup policy,” said Dr Kenny.
“We have been looking for ways to make that become a reality and this partnership provides a link between the growers and market, and also sourcing alternate technologies to improve the way farmers process their coffees.”
MG chief executive officer Kamal Goundar said it has been in the country for more than seven years now with an objective to promote PNG coffee to the Japanese market.
“Japan has a huge coffee demand and therefore I can promise you that if you can meet their quality and delivery requirements, price should not be a problem.”
Meanwhile, PNG currently exports 6 percent of its total coffee production to Japan.