Coffee officials carrying out policy reviews

AN industry-wide consultation is being carried out by the Coffee Industry Corporation on its regulatory policy guidelines.
The guidelines have been the underlying parameters for the integrity and function of the industry in the past 41 years, sustaining the industry operational efficiency and viability up until the present day.
Long-time coffee administrator Ricky Mitio led a team of Coffee Industry Corporationofficials who conducted the first forum in Eastern Highlands on Sept 13.
They are now in Western Highlands for the regional consultative forum.
The team held a similar forum for stakeholders in Morobe last week.
A final one is expected to be held in Port Moresby on Oct 4.
General manager for industry operations Steven Tumae said a review was done on the guidelines in 1976.
“It is a living document that will be amended as and when it becomes necessary to meet the emerging new business environment,” he said.
“Coffee Industry Corporation has been mandated to regulate the industry so that we maintain our competitive edge on the quality of coffee we produce.”
Mitio said it was timely for Coffee Industry Corporation to carry out this review.
He said the review was being made to counteract changes in the global coffee market and the emerging new business challenges facing stakeholders involved in the value chain of the Papua New Guinea coffee industry.
“Papua New Guinea has to respond by re-organising its industry so the maximum benefit coming from these markets is filtered down to the growers.”