Coffee Industry News

New Home for Coffee in New Ireland Province (17/02/09)

The coffee crop has found a new home in the New Ireland Province as farmers in the province are assured support from their Provincial Administration and the Coffee Industry Corporation Limited (CIC). 

Venturing into its tenth year of coffee development, New Ireland Province is into its eight year of production.  Last year 2008, the province produced 2.9 tonnes of coffee with a gross value of K5,850. New Ireland has 70 hectares covered with coffee: 50 hectares of Robusta and 20 hectares Arabica with the potential to produce 133 tonnes worth K266,000 at current average price.

New Ireland Province Governor, Right Honorable Sir Julius Chan, GCMG, KBE, says that his government hopes to stabilize agriculture in the island province. He admitted that in some areas of New Ireland province, coffee would be the only cash crop and not just an alternate crop.

Following a renewed Memorandum of Agreement signed between the New Ireland Provincial Government and the CIC in 2005, coffee development in the province has been steady, but this has not hindered the number of farmers showing interest in the crop.

CIC Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ricky Mitio, urged coffee farmers in New Ireland Province to organize into cooperative groups and register under the Smallholder Coffee Growers Association so that all their produce is marketed and the income distributed transparently to members.

CIC is working to establish a coffee marketing system by setting licensed buyers in the province to buy coffee for farmers to receive upfront cash for their crop. This system is expected to motivate farmers to work on coffee and increase production in the province. Increased production volume would then pave the way for New Ireland Province to install dry mills.

Meanwhile, New Ireland Province is focused on increasing the number of plantings on the ground to one million by the year 2012. With much positive support from its provincial administration, New Ireland Province would be able to grow its infant coffee industry

 

 

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