Coffee boom in ‘land of vanilla’

 THE buying and selling of Robusta coffee in East Sepik is picking up well, the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) said.

A total of 1,103 green bean bags were sold in the last quarter of the last financial year of this year earning more than K366,000.

The two forms of coffee for export from the country are green bean and roast and ground, (Roast and Ground account for up to 1% of export).

Reports obtained from the CIC Maprik branch showed that there were 21 groups organised as markets for local farmers in the district.

Farmers on the other hand, with the help of CIC, have made good sales and fetched good prices for their beans four times a year.

The coffee beans are then processed into green bean in Wewak and sold to Kundu Coffee Exports at Lae for export.

About 42 coffee farmers are involved in the coffee sales and marketing.

These farmers are from Maprik, Wosera-Gawi, Ambunti-Dreikikier, Yangoru-Saussia districts as well as Nuku and Lumi, in West Sepik.

The price of coffee has increased from K2.70 per kg last year to K2.95/kg this year.

 CIC said the coffee rate per kg was likely to increase by the end of this month from K3 to K3.50.

With current price, farmers are putting more effort growing coffee.

A farmer from Maprik, James Biramu thanked CIC for their support and assistance for making it possible for them to sell their coffee.