CIC vows to help Pamusa coffee men

By ZACHERY PER
COFFEE Industry Corp chief executive Navi Anis visited a remote organic coffee-growing area in Eastern Highlands province this week and promised to help them to improve production.
Anis went to Pamusa Valley in Okapa district, which was well known for growing some of the finest organically-grown coffee that fetched the best price.
He told the growers at Purosa village that CIC was prepared to help them.
Anis said they were keen to help themselves through the setting up of Pamusa coffee growers association, which would eventually become a co-operative society.
He had encouraged the growers to pool their produce so they could sell it at high price.
Anis said they could even export with CIC assistance.
“CIC will work closely with you because you are ready to accept help such as technical assistance.”
He said CIC did not have enough manpower to adequately support the small-growers.
However, once the growers were ready to get help, they (CIC) would move in to help.
He made a special offer to them to utilise a World Bank facility
called productive partnership in agriculture project (PPAP), in which coffee and cocoa growers, producers and exporters could access funding to improve their businesses.
The coffee growers could get funds to improve their existing coffee plots and plant new trees.
It could also be used to
improve infrastructure like roads leading to their
coffee-growing areas.
“Pamusa is one of the areas in Okapa district known for producing high quality coffee,    CIC will be committed to help the group out,” Anis said.
PPAP funding was for coffee growers, traders, processors, exporters, cooperatives, associations, NGOs and know­ledge (universities) or service providers wishing to enter into productive partnership agreements with smallholder coffee producers in the four highlands provinces of WHP, Jiwaka, Chimbu and EHP.
Anis said proposals from ineligible partnerships and those not conforming to the guidelines would not be considered.
The deadline for receiving all calls for proposals would be Jan 19 next year, he said.
According to Industrial Centres Development Corp (ICDC) managing director Igitava Yoviga, partnership with rele­vant organisations was paramount to ensure that Pamusa coffee growers cooperative flourished.
He chipped in K10,000  towards assisting the group as he believed in self-sustaining projects that empowers small people to improve their livelihood.