Group gets certificate in coffee production

MEMBERS of an incorporated land group (ILG) in Upper Baiune, Bulolo, Morobe, are about to experience social and economic change through coffee production.
Last Friday, 40 members of the Katumani ILG and surrounding communities graduated with certificates after a two-day training conducted by Coffee Industry Corporation.
The ILG relies mostly on royalty money from PNG Forest Products for the use of the group’s 22,000 hectare land area and source of water for hydro power generation.
PNG Forest Products has three hydro power stations located in the lower and upper Baiune areas.
The move by the ILG executives to tap into coffee for its members is to encourage them to be self-reliant instead of waiting for government handouts.
ILG chairman Geame Katu said quality coffee seedlings would be brought in the coming weeks from the Agtrade-managed Bulolo coffee nursery and distributed to those who attended the training.
“The idea is to ensure villagers or farmers are growing coffee using good agriculture practices and inputs.
“Subsequent training will be provided by CIC to ILG members when they enter different stages of the coffee production process.
“We want to ensure our members produce good quality coffee so that we can look at buying from them to supply external customers,” Katu said.