Five coffee grower groups in Jiwaka Province were each presented with mini wet mills with standalone single disc pulpers by the Coffee Industry Corporation’s (CIC).
The mills will assist them to efficiently process their coffee.
Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Simon officiated at this launching at the Nondugl
Council Chamber grounds recently.
The groups include Waka, Numkussy, Opka, Kumbal Kopong and Konum coffee cooperatives.
Minister Simon told the gathering at Nondugl that they did not need an educated person to go and tell them to attend to their coffee gardens, but that the knowledge and skills on how to till the land was already with them.
“You do not need an educated person to come and tell you to attend to your coffee gardens, the knowledge is already with you. Hard work pays off. If you have the land and not disabled, you should not be struggling to make ends meet,” Simon said.
He said the government’s main aim was to bring the price above K5 to K6 and they have achieved that.
“I want to challenge you to start attending to your coffee gardens now, as this government is serious in investing in avenues that will help you get good prices for your coffee.”
“The government will put in necessary intervention programmes to assist you,” he said.
Mr Simon also urged the people at Nondugl to support CIC and National Agriculture Quarantine
Inspection Authority to work together to curb coffee berry borer in the province.
He said people were currently getting K6 for their class one-parchment coffee in Banz.
“We have made that base price but I want you to get higher than that,” he said.
“Farmers must maintain coffee quality to receive better prices. The high prices are already there, we just have to adjust the way we do things and maintain quality,” he said.
CIC Acting Chief Executive Officer Charles Dambui told the farmers at Nondugl to take ownership and look after the mini wet mills given.
He said the issue of producing quality coffee and consistently maintaining that was the main issue many cooperative groups and farmers continue to have.
“The challenge to each and everyone one of us is to take ownership and work together as you receive these equipment today, “he said.
Photo courtesy: CIC