Coffee farmers

The government-funded footbridge project is under the Coffee Industry Corporation’s Coffee Access Road Project with an investment of K529,000.00.

According to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Charles Dambui the project span was for three months however he was pleased that the footbridge was completed in 2 months.

“This is an impact project for the local people in the Maril-Minimbi area and we are very happy that this has taken less time to complete it by the contractor Rumaris Investment Ltd.”

The modules were launched on Wednesday 9^th August 2023 by Coffee Minister Joe Kuli in the presence of the Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) representatives, Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) staff and management and coffee industry stakeholders in Goroka.

Speaking at yesterday’s launch of a 10-year insurance partnership at Kapao Rural LLG, Wenge made a commitment to help export the Hamtai Coffee Group’s produce directly to international markets.

“Mitupla bai expotim kofi straight to the consumer,” he told the coffee farmers.

“Straight to the coffee table at America, straight to the coffee table at Germany, to Australia and straight to Galilee at Jerusalem.

Founder and chairman of Hamtai Coffee Group Ltd, Den Anas, said the people of Menyamya have been growing coffee since 1950, and have been cultivating and harvesting their produce without any form of support from the district, provincial and national government for 72 years.

Anas formed the Hamtai group in 2018, and he currently has a membership of 2,112 coffee farmers. Of that number, 713 graduated from quality training in March this year.

The coffee farmers are now appealing to relevant authorities to assist with much-needed facilities.

Caspar Nol is in charge of a coffee association in Simbai. He raised this concern recently, adding that farmers in the villagers have a lot of coffee to sell, but cannot bring it to Simbai Station and on to Mt Hagen. 

Mr Nol said he and others look after the coffee warehouse at Simbai. They have bought a tractor and need help in bringing the machinery to Simbai to resolve the transportation issue between local villages and the coffee warehouse.

Stallholders have requested to the Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP) under the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) to set up the storage houses at several serviceable airstrips in Simbai and Kovon areas of Middle Ramu District.

The request was made during a nine-day visit into the mountains of Simbai and Kovon by a PPAP-CIC team.

PPAP-CIC Project Manager, Potaisa Hombunaka. Says lack of road and market access continues to remain a hindrance, not only for the farmers but also for the general population in these two remotely located areas.

This is the undertaking from a farmer and community leader Johannes Yola who is organising 428 farmers or households in the area under Coffee Industry Corporation’s industry rehabilitation program.

The farmers at Ambum Valley will work together with Wabag Catholic Diocese who has signed a partnership agreement with CIC on November 9, 2016 to help in coffee improvement work under call 4.

The 11^th implementation support mission from November 17-21 was headed by World Bank agriculture specialist based in Vietnam, Nathan Belete; and Dan Vadnjal and Agnes Deshormes of IFAD.

They delegation met with coffee processing, exporting firms and NGO groups partnering in the coffee rehabilitation work in Eastern Highlands, Chimbu, Jiwaka and Western Highlands under call 1 and 2.

The objective of the mission was to assess the progress since the last assessment in March with focus on sustainability aspects when World Bank, IFAD and PNG Government funding ends.

The farmer group from one of the remote electorates referred to as the ‘back page’ of Eastern Highlands Province were praised for their efforts for having good leadership to organised cluster groups to successfully bid for coffee development funding totalling K2.3 million.

“Mipela wok wanwan na i no kisim gutpela mani. Ol namel man husat nogat kofi diwai i kisim moa mani” (We work as individuals and getting less from our harvest. Middle people who have no coffee trees are benefiting from our hard work),” says Pauline Lakis.