Coffee Industry News

Association Promoting Coffee in Bena (5/02/2010)

Being the only major cash crop in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, coffee continues, to generate income for the people to meet their customary and social needs and obligations.

For the Kokinaga villagers, coffee is the major income earner to meets costs of bride price payment, school fees, head pay, compensation payment and other costly and significant customary and social obligations.

This was revealed by the Sahilu Coffee Growers Association Technical Advisor, Mr. Willie Susuke, recently during a visit by the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) staff to the village in the Unggai/Bena District of Eastern Highlands Province.

Mr. Susuke, a retired CIC officer for over 20 years said his clansmen depend largely on coffee for their major income and he started the idea for the Sahilu Coffee Growers Association to negotiate higher prices for their coffee.

“The idea of forming the group started as early as 1997 and we hope to get it registered as a cooperative group and eventually export green
bean coffee overseas,” said Mr. Susuke.

“Even though I have left the employment of CIC, I still think that I have the responsibility to promote coffee, and there is over whelming requests from nearby villages for me to give them assistance in forming the Coffee grower groups,” said Mr. Susuke.

The group has erected a community learning centre in the village and are welcoming other organizations to go to their village to provide training and awareness.

The CIC staff were in the village to conduct the Participatory Rural Appraisal Program (PRAP) which assisted the farmers to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in various aspects of their village and environment.

The training aims to help the villages to realize their potential and capitalize on it to improve their living standsard.

CIC is carrying out similar trainings to other villages in EHP, Simbu, and WHP. After the training the groups are expected to register themselves with the Investment Promotion Authority through the Commerce & Industry branch Office in their provincial town and seek assistance from various agencies with the aim to bring benefits to their group members.

“The main aim of my group is to raise the living standard of our people by getting better deals for our coffee,” said Mr. Susuke.

 

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Updated: May 16, 2010