CIC hold meet to update on CBB

The PNG Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) have convened a stakeholders meeting to present an update on the Coffee Berry Borer (CBB).

The meeting, which began yesterday and ends today, will include stakeholders from Western Highlands and Chimbu.

The CIC will be presenting an update on the CBB incursion and measures they and other authorities will be implementing and will also allow for feedback and suggestions as a way forward for the benefit of all players in the industry.

In a statement CIC Chief Executive Officer, Charles Dambui, said it was important to update all concerned stakeholders in the industry on what CIC and partners NAQIA and DAL had been doing to date and possibly engage external assistance where it may be needed at this point in time.

“We have met with the exporter’s council in Goroka last month and we intend to do the same with other stakeholders in the other major coffee producing provinces.”

Dambui appealed to all coffee producing provincial and district administrations to come forward and support the industry as most of their people living in rural areas rely heavily on coffee as a source of income.

“Our biggest challenge would be to coordinate farmers in unison at the farm level in terms of sanitation practices and that is where we will need more manpower to boost these efforts together with CIC.”

General Manager for Industry Operations, Steven Tumae, said a brief on the restriction on movement of unprocessed coffee and what is required of the industry at this present stage of containment measures taken will be resented as well.

“This will not go down well for some stakeholders, however, we are doing this now to protect non-infected areas of the pest,” Tumae said.

Provincial and district administrations, provincial DAL officers, coffee processors and exporters are expected to attend the meetings this week.

Picture: From left: Western Highlands smallholders coffee growers association representative Jack Kulam, Banz coffee farmer Mr Kiap Gimbol, Dr Mark Kenny (General manager for research division) and Kingsten Okka (Bio-control research officer), inspecting infected coffee parchment at Kina Kofi block where the pest was initially reported from Gimbol’s garden in February 2017. (credit CIC)

 

 

 

Author: 
Cedric Patjole