Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC)

Coffee economic roads improving the lives of farmers

The improved roads system has enabled buyers to go to the grower’s door steps to buy coffee.

Eastern Highlands, Jiwaka and Western Highlands, the three main Arabica coffee growing provinces have benefited from this project.

The 50 kilometers Okapa link is one of nine economic roads costing K28 million.

Coffee growers, Amox Buka, says the improved road system has motivated them to look after coffee tress well and to plant more.

Negabo successfully completes trial project

The remote community came alive on Wednesday 25th September in jubilant traditional colours and singsing groups for the official opening of this facility.

CIC Chief Executive Officer, Charles Dambui, senior managers and technical officers flew into the area on Wednesday to open the facility and talk to the community.

It took almost four months to complete the facility since airfreighting materials into the area in May this year.

Rehabilitation of rundown plantations

CIC Chief Executive Officer Charles Dambui announced this on July 2nd at the CIC headquarters in Goroka when signing an agreement between two lead partners under the World Bank funded project – Coffee Industry Corporation Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Projects (CIC-PPAP).

“The agreement signing signifies the start of a household survey to be carried out by the lead partners to identify the number of households and the inputs to rehabilitate coffee blocks and plantations,” Dambui said.

Israeli firm keen to deliver multi-million Kina project

A team from IAI was recently in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, on Tuesday 23 October to meet with officials from the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) to discuss the imminent project.

The company, backed by Israel’s LR Group, was led by Chief Executive Officer Lior Crystal and a high powered team of scientists, extensionists, agronomists and an economist.

They were welcomed by CIC CEO Charles Dambui and met with the senior management team.

Bio-control agent to combat CBB infestation

This follows continued effort and resources put into addressing the coffee berry borer incursion in the country.

Chief Executive Officer, Charles Dambui, said it had taken a while for CIC to come up with the bio-control agent as its scientists have been working around the clock to identify local biological control agents of coffee berry borer.

A local strain of Beauveria (bou-veria) fungus was identified in September 2017, which had infected the coffee berry borer in the Asaro valley.

Milne Bay helps transport farmers’ coffee

Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) chief executive officer, Charles Dambui, made this remark following a successful airfreighting of 7,993 kg (7.9 tons) of parchment coffee from Agaun, Daga LLG, to Alotau on a recent SIL charter.

The coffee belonged to 250 coffee farmers in the Daga LLG, Milne Bay Province.

CIC’s Alotau based extension coordinator, Dickson Kenas, said since 2014, a total 616 farmers from the Daga LLG have benefited through the CIC freight subsidy program in partnership with the Milne Bay Provincial Administration.

Coffee berry borer update

Agriculture Minister Benny Allan said he was pleased with the efforts so far in containing the pest from spreading outside the Eastern Highlands and Jiwaka provinces.

K10 million has been spent on the exercise since it was detected last year in Jiwaka, Asaro, Goroka and Unggai-Bena in the Eastern Highlands province. They remained contained in these areas.

Two roadblocks have been set up and remain at the border of Chimbu and Jiwaka and Eastern Highlands province, to stop the spread of CBB. 

Major awareness on CBB pest

The awareness will be conducted throughout the week in Eastern Highlands and Jiwaka Province as per a directive from Agriculture and Livestock Minister, Benny Allan.

CIC CEO, Charles Dambui, said awareness is part of ongoing efforts carried out by his technical team to address the borer outbreak in coffee growing communities.

“Since the pest is a new pest in PNG, more awareness is required to ensure farmers understand the severity of the pest and its implication on their livelihoods.”

CBB infestation increasing

The number is still increasing from the initial 12 gardens identified since March 2017.

The total area of coffee infested with the pest in EHP is estimated to be around 380 hectares, with only 71.9 ha rehabilitated to date.

Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) chief executive officer, Charles Dambui, said ongoing efforts on rehabilitation and awareness must continue and acknowledged the government’s support of K5 million for CBB fight in the supplementary budget.

Impact project transparent: CIC

The chief executive officer of Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), Charles Dambui, praised the PPAP modality while welcoming the 13th World Bank-led implementation support mission to Goroka on 4 October, 2017. The mission included officials from IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development), GoPNG reps from DAL and Treasury. They met with CIC-PPAP team to discuss progress of coffee rehabilitation in the country.

“We had some coffee development programs funded by donors but this (PPAP) is one of our impact projects.