CATEGORY:

= CATEGORY: = ; &n= bsp; PROMOTION OF PNG SPECIAL EXPORT COFFEE BRANDS

MR. JERRY KAPKA

KONGO COFFEE LIMITED, SIMBU PROVINCE=

HI= STORY & BACKGROUND

Mr. Jerry Kapka is the managing director and controller of the Kongo Coffee Limited in the Simbu Pr= ovince. He is formerly a trained educationist, a high school teacher. In 1991, he t= ook leave without pay from teaching to buy coffee and having to feel the taste = of the coffee business. The coff= ee aroma was too sweet for him and he decided not to return to the classroom to teach but to pursue a different career in life.

After one year, in 1992, he rented Simbu Coffee Factory to operate as a licensed operato= r. He operated for six years and felt uncomfortable renting, so he decided to bui= ld his own factory.

Kongo Coffee Limited = was incorporated and established in Chuave, Simbu Province as a signi= ficant accomplishment for Mr. Kapka. Kongo today is the largest local buyer, processor, manufacturer and exporter of P= NG coffee.

Mr. Kapka had = a view that the coffee plantation sector would diminish one day, and smallholder coffee will dominate the market and PNG in the future. He decided to develop smallholder coffee so that it can add export value as the plantation coffee= . He looked backed to his Simbu Pr= ovince and was reckoning that how he could get the premium grades that Plantations= or blocks normally produce. He was confident that the smallholder coffee will = one day have the similar value as plantations.

AC= HIVEMENTS

Mr. Kapka set = his vision to export coffee directly overseas. He searched into smallholder specialty markets and created his own exporting brand names which he has be= en successfully marketing overseas. The Brand names which he developed include= :

1.&n= bsp; Elimbari Specialty Coffee – in roast = and ground, and whole bean, =

2.&n= bsp; Simbu Regular,

3.&n= bsp; Karimui Organic Coffee,

4.&n= bsp; Mt Wilhelm [high altitude Premium Grade coffee]

The high values which he gained from the specialty products were transferred direct to local communities thereby abl= e to achieve higher value for smallholders.

CIC also acknowledged other exporters who = have developed and marketed high value coffee. These include W R Carpenters (Sigri brand), Goroka Coff= ee Roasters, PNG Coffee Exports, Coffee Connections Ltd and many others. =

The CIC Board and Management would like to particularly recognize the extraordi= nary work and contribution Mr. Jerry Kapka and his c= ompany has put into the development of the coffee industry.