Something good is brewing

The National Weekender

Story and pictures by JOHN SUPA
A JAPANESE delegation ended a one-week tour of Papua New Guinea’s coffee centres happy with the quality they found.
The team of 11 men and two women representing leading coffee roasting, brewing and cafeteria chains in Japan, was made possible by the help of  MG Corporation (MGC) of Japan, a major partner of the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) and one of PNG’s specialty coffee importers.
CIC in recent times reciprocates by purchasing solar coffee pulpers and fertilizers from MGC for the development of coffee in the country.
The visitors were here to sample and authenticate PNG’s coffee quality from respective coffee origins, which MGC normally imports and distributes in Japan.
The group consisted of coffee entrepreneurs and tasters, and their positive report is sure to open opportunities for new markets in Japan and at premium prices.
MGC’s Tokyo-based representative Nobuo Matsuki, who was the team leader on this tour, said the delegation was impressed with the quality of origin coffees that they sampled.
During the tour, the delegation sampled coffees that came in from Milne Bay, Morobe and Eastern Highlands and Jiwaka. Apart from one coffee sample that was deemed below required standard due to storage and delayed transportation into CIC’s Coffee Research and Extension Centre in Aiyura, the team expressed huge satisfaction with the other samples that were liquored in Lae, Aiyura and Goroka.
The delegation started their tour in Lae, visiting CIC’s facilities where all coffees destined for exports are graded. They also visited the Freight Management Service (FMS) warehouse from where coffee is shipped.
The Japanese delegation’s visit was led by Dr Mark Kenny, CIC general manager (research and growers services division) and his deputy, Matei Labun. After the first stop in Lae, the team travelled to Aiyura and onto the CIC HQ in Goroka.
At Bena outside Goroka, they were given a rousing welcome by villagers from Jiwaka from where MGC imports most of its coffee through the father-and-son team of John and Mark Munnul.
Their entrepreneurship is known as Kosem Coffee and the visitors toured the Kosem factory.
Last Sunday, two Japanese soil experts arrived in Goroka to analyse and evaluate different samplings of soil to determine the best ways to cultivate coffee.

  • John Supa is media officer at CIC.