Boost for coffee farmers

By PETER WARI
PRODUCTIVE Partnership in Agriculture Project (PPAP) project manager Potaisa Hombunaka was impressed with the work of a newly established PPAP-funded coffee rehabilitation and storage building in Imbonggu, Southern Highlands, during his visit on Saturday.
The Undiri Coffee Investment Ltd (UCIL) established at Yaria village now has 810 registered coffee farmers and another 800 that continue to receive support from UCIL but are yet to be registered.
Hombunaka said he was happy to see that the project had successfully completed the storage building and was up-to-date with required standards which had rekindled interest from local growers.
He said PPAP would continue to support UCIL in its efforts to provide goods (seedlings, fertiliser, materials and equipment) and services (training) for local coffee growers.
“Agriculture, which is the backbone of this nation, was given little support in the past years but now we have a good government that has prioritised this industry and PPAP is working in partnership to support farmers,” Hombunaka said.
“We possess huge hectares of customary land that are sitting idle and need people to work that land by planting important cash crops like coffee.
“Now farmers must know that UCIL has been established to look into their needs and assist them.”
Project coordinator Francis Wata briefed Hombunaka on the progress of their work in in Poroma LLG in Nipa-Kutubu, Aiya LLG in Kagua-Erave and Lower Mendi in Imbonggu on small holder plantations and plots under PPAP support programme.
He said the provincial government and district development authorities were yet to support the coffee sector but it had the potential to change the lives of people.
Wata said a lack of awareness had caused many coffee plots and farms to be abandoned and the industry forgotten but they were working to reintroduce the crop back into the province.
“We need support from the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) to assist extension officers with vehicles to help them carry out their work,” he said.
Provincial DAL adviser Kenneth Kuim said the department recently received a vehicle and a number of motorcycles and would continue to acquire more assets to help extension officers’ work.