Farmers, villagers take ownership

Weekender

By LEO WAFIWA
THE Coffee Industry Corporation is engaging community leaders and ward councillors in a household survey covering 15,606 farmers and 7,803 hectares in nine coffee growing provinces.
The survey is being coordinated by coffee component of Productive Partnerships in Agricultural Project (CIC-PPAP) from Goroka office with 19 partnerships who have signed an agreement under call 4 to carry out coffee rehabilitation activities which includes revitalizing rundown coffee gardens in rural areas of Papua New Guinea.
The partnerships involve coffee processors, exporters, NGOs, community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations namely the Anglican Church of PNG (Aipo Rongo Diocese) and Catholic Church (Wabag Diocese).
The CIC-PPAP is employing a community participatory approach in this survey to collect baseline information of coffee farmers or households before rolling out rehabilitation activities which begins with distribution of basic farming tools like secateurs, pruning saws, hand coffee pulpers, etc.
Purpose of the baseline information is to monitor the impact on the livelihood of farmers towards the end of the project and beyond.
The community consultative process involves training of close to 1400 field officers working for CIC-PPAP partners and community leaders from respective areas or provinces identified for coffee development work.
Participation of ward councillors and community elders has been the highlight of the training sessions from December 2016 to February 2017.
“For most of them it is their first time to attend to learn and take part in something new,” says Brian Kuglame, Manager of AAAK Cooperative Society, a co-partner group under PNG Coffee Exports who did well to engage their directors with some elders and ward councillors in a household survey training conducted at its premises in Goroka on Tuesday 22 February, 2017.
Kuglame adds: “In the process of improving coffee gardens, we’re empowering our little people and this is an excellent opportunity under CIC-PPAP.
“It gives them the opportunity to ask questions. These are respected leaders in their communities who also grow coffee. The farmers will listen to them, not us.”
Other partnerships who took part in the household survey training sessions with their ward councillors were ACPNG, Research and Conservation Foundation (Crater Mountain) Weni & Mandol Ltd (Maprik), Tribal Aroma (Kerowagi), Agro Dev Ltd (Jiwaka), Wiatrade (Erap) and Obura-Wonenara Coffee Cooperative Society (Eastern Highlands).
The Monitoring & Evaluation section of CIC-PPAP headed by senior consultant Abner Yalu has been running these training sessions.
“These community leaders have local knowledge of coffee farming practices in their areas. To engage them early in any community impact projects like CIC-PPAP provide for comprehensive consultation process allowing community members with ideas and concerns to be heard.
“Even if community members don’t ultimately agree with the decisions, at least they have the benefit of understanding the process of getting there and this is important for the success of this project,” says Yalu.
The underlying focus of coffee rehabilitation is to improve the livelihood or wellbeing of farmers in rural countryside. Hence the approach also helps to empower the rural people to build pride and confidence in their ability to participate.
“This is a partnership effort. They must take ownerships and responsibility so they become effective partners at the farmers or community level to deliver this project,” explains Project Manager Potaisa Hombunaka.
“Also, we are engaging extension or field officers from the area so the knowledge that is developed during the duration of the project remains in the area to continue to assist the farmers.
“A baseline information is vital for us to properly plan and deliver the kind of assistance required by farmers as we’re doing in the highlands provinces.
“During and at the end of project funding we will use the baseline information to monitor the impact of the project on the livelihood of the farmers,” adds Hombunaka.
The coffee rehabilitation work is financed by a loan facility from World Bank, IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) with support funding from PNG Government.
The CIC-PPAP consultants so far have completed household survey trainings with field and administration officers of 19 call 4 partnerships in Eastern, Western and Southern Highlands; Chimbu, Jiwaka, Enga, Madang (Simbai and Kovon LLG), Morobe and East Sepik.
The officers were trained on how to conduct household survey using a household survey form. Baseline information collected is filled into the form and entered into the CIC-PPAP Management Information (MIS) system.
The purpose of the household survey is to collect baseline data or information on the labour per household who contributes to coffee production, level of education of people in a house, working tools required by farmers and farming practices including methods employed by farmers to dry coffee beans.
“A baseline information is vital for us to effectively plan and deliver assistance to the farmers as we’re already doing in the highlands. Hence, once all the data is submitted by mid-March, we will go out to verify before we roll out the program,” explains Assistant Monitoring & Evaluation consultant Richard Alepa said.
The survey will also help to provide data on coffee production and income for participating households in the last 12 months and market accessibility which include condition of roads farmers use to sell their harvest.
The status of existing coffee gardens that require rehabilitation or improvement work to increase coffee production and quality will be established as well.
An interesting part of the training was to use GPS in the field for coffee mapping. In addition to marketing, a person in American or Japan enjoying his coffee would like to know where the coffee originates.

  • The author is Information & Communications Officer for CIC’s Productive Partnerships in Agricultural Project.