CIC launches policy guidelines

THE Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) recently launched its revised regulatory policy guidelines (RPG), green coffee standards and the online export management and facilitation system in Goroka, Eastern Highlands.
The three significant programmes were launched on Sept 13 at the Phoenix Hotel in Goroka attended by government representatives including Agriculture and Livestock Vice-Minister responsible for coffee Pogio Ghate, donor representatives and coffee industry stakeholders.
CIC chief executive Charles Dambui said changes in the regulatory guidelines and green coffee standards had come about after consultation with stakeholders.
He said under the previous green coffee standards, there were 12 grades for arabica green coffee however, the revised standards would now have only five; for robusta coffee, it would now have three different grades from one.
Grades: Arabica Green Coffee – A, B, Y, Y2, Y3; Robusta coffee – R1, R2, RT.
Dambui said the previous guidelines were still relevant, as they had seen the coffee industry progress over the years.
He said the revised guidelines would come into effect next year, hence, it was advisable for all industry coffee dealers, traders, operators to get a copy and familiarise themselves with the requirements of their operations.
“The revisions are to capture the changes happening in the coffee industry both domestically and globally.”
Dambui said the revised RPG, which fell under the industry operations division, would now regulate the coffee growers all the way to freight forwarders.
The third programme launched was the online export management and facilitation system. This programme is expected to improve from the manual system to the online contracts registration for ease of export facilitation.
Dambui thanked the World Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) funded Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP) for funding the setting up of the online platform system, and thanked the CIC board for approving the revised regulatory policy guidelines.
He urged all industry stakeholders for their support in implementing the revised guidelines next year and beyond.
Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) plus programme country manager Sidney Suma said the idea of moving away from paper work and going online addressed the issue of fraud and traceability.
Pioneer coffee farmer and administrator Ricky Mitio said international coffee demand required proof of origin making traceability important.
He said one of the biggest challenge was the sustainability of supply that needed to be properly addressed.