CATEGORY:

= CATEGORY: &= nbsp; PROMOTION OF COFFEE DEVELOPMENT IN= NEW GROWTH AREAS

ENB COFFEE GROWERS COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION

EAST NEW BRITAIN PROVINCE

HI= STORY & BACKGROUND

East New Britain Provinc= e is traditionall= y a non-coffee growing province but biggest producer of cocoa and copra which are exported= to the world market. Coffee growing was once an integrated project developed by the then Department of Primary Industry in 1998 with other cash crops. The project became unsuccessful, however only recently the East New Britain Provincial Government and few individuals from the province decided to prom= ote coffee as an alternate crop in the province.

Mr. Ignatius ToPupu, an engineer by profession, who spends most of his time with the PNG Defence Force initiated and headed the project. He pl= anned for a co-ordinated system for proper delivery of training and development to take the new industry forward in the province. = With that in mind, he set up a Cooperative System comprising of a Cooperative Association which coordinates all the smaller Cooperative Societies and the= ir membership to the Association. This system was registered with the Registra= r of Cooperative Societies within the Department of Commerce and Industry. The A= ssociation coordinates each community and villages and individuals to organize themsel= ves and affiliate to it. On this basis the Association provides extension servi= ces, training and support. Mr. ToPupu was supported = and guided by the former Chairman of the Association, Mr. Vincent Toliman.

It goes inline with ENB Provincial Government’s initiative for diversification program to diversify people’s sources of income from different cash crops.

AC= HIVEMENTS

The East New Britain Coffee Growers Cooperative Association (ENBCGCA) is headed by a General Manager with a tea= m of staff, with over 300 small Cooperative Societies, which have financial affiliation with the Association.

Over the period from 2005, the Cooperative Societies have planted over 1 million seedlings through smallholder farms in the province. Many of the coffee trees planted have started to produce coff= ee cherries and the Association has so far sold some of the coffee parchments. They have produced to date 13 tonnes green bean equivalent and sold in Lae. Production will inc= rease and the Cooperative Association is targeting to build Dry coffee factory wi= thin the next five years with a plan to market its coffee directly overseas.

Coffee is the largest agricultural export commodity in PNG. Also it is a growing industry expanding into new areas wh= ere the soil and climate is suitable to grow and produce exportable product.

Coffee is now grown in 15 of the 20 provin= ces in the country from the traditional provinces in the Highlands, Morobe and Madang. = The CIC has offices in 14 of those provinces.

The CIC Board and Management would like to particularly recognize the extraordinary work and contribution ENBCGC Association is making to East New Britain and the coffee industry.