Meeting set for coffee industry

COLLEAGUES and competitors of Papua New Guinea’s coffee industry will meet next week at the National Coffee Symposium to discuss the future of the industry.
The symposium provides a platform for industry players, including Members of Parliament from coffee growing provinces and districts, key ministers, coffee growers/co-operatives, exporters, processors/millers, coffee industry service providers, donor agencies and key Government agencies, to engage in dialogue on industry issues and solutions and networking.
The Coffee Industry Corporation has partnered with Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Projects, the Australian and New Zealand-supported Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus Program the symposium in Port Moresby this week.
It has been a challenging two decades for the coffee producers and exporters of Papua New Guinea.
The global origin brand “Papua New Guinea Coffee” once celebrated as a standard for excellence is in a slow but steady decline in volume, value of production, and in reputation.
The national coffee symposium has the potential to be a pivotal event and a forum for stakeholders to band together and take action for the good of the industry.
Presentations and discussions at the event will focus on status of the industry, policy and regulatory challenges and solutions, coffee markets and trends, and will provide industry input to develop the 10-year Strategic Plan, the CIC 5-year corporate plan and provide input into the delivery of various donor-funded coffee projects.
With the themed Differentiation for higher value coffee, the symposium will also include presentations from global industry players and a specific session with the programme for Women in Coffee and International Women in Coffee Alliance to further the work and contribution of women in the industry.
Papua New Guinea’s coffee sector involves over 400,000 households in production, with annual export returns of approximately K350 million of which 60-70 per cent goes back to coffee smallholder households.
The PNG coffee industry is aware that the global coffee market has become very competitive and is focusing on improvements from production to when the coffee reaches the consumer as a cup of coffee.
International coffee specialists Andrew Hetzel, Mick Wheeler, Gina DiBrita, Matt Graylee and Nicole Motteux will join local coffee specialists as speakers at the event.
A trade expo also coincides with the symposium.