Bridge to benefit coffee farmers

ABOUT 30,000 coffee farmers in Unggai-Bena, Easter Highlands, will now benefit from a vital bridge that will be built in the district.
A cheque of K500,000 was recently presented by the district administrator Jonathan Resis to Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC).
CIC will put in an additional K500,000 to construct the bridge in the Magitu area.
Resis said productive public-private partnership were the way forward in providing effective service delivery to the rural populace.
CIC chief executive Charles Dambui urged other district development authorities (DDAs) to enter into such partnerships on a kina-for-kina basis to rehabilitate roads that would boost the local economy by encouraging more coffee production and providing people with access to services and business opportunities.
CIC-PPAP (productive partnerships in agriculture project) manager Potaisa Hombunaka highlighted that farmers already knew what their immediate needs were.
“The rural coffee farmers want their roads to be rehabilitated so they will access the market easily,” he said.
General manager for industry operations Steven Tumae said once the bridge was completed, it would serve coffee farmers and communities in Magitu, Sogopegu, Katagu, Lahame, Hofaga, Sakanuga, Bagahinupa, Sekagu and Sozugu in Lower Bena.
CIC- PPAP senior engineer Eric Abba said it would take about six weeks to bring the bridge to Lae from the United Kingdom and then from Lae up to Magitu.
He said the road, which was scoped from Sogopegu to Hofaga, was 5km in length and would benefit some 30,0000 people from Ward 4 and 5 of Lower Bena local level government.
The 36m Magitu bridge was part of the 5km road from Sogopegu to Hofaga.
The road is located about 16km from Goroka town.
Patrol grading is expected to be carried out before the bridge components reach Magitu.
The tender process would be facilitated between April and July and construction was expected to commence by August.