Coffee cooperative putting quality of beans first

By EREBIRI ZURENUOC
HELPING farmers export quality coffee beans to the international market is the only goal of a Morobe-based coffee cooperative.
The Unen Choit Cooperative Society Ltd, which started in the early 1980s in Wawet village, Wasu local-level government, Tewai-Siassi, has been exporting coffee beans to Australia, New Zealand, Germany, New York, China and Japan since 2012.
Managing director Molock Terry said the co-operative supported coffee farmers in Morobe and Madang, and especially Raicoast (Madang), Kabwum and Tewai-Siassi.
“Coffee parchment comes to Lae in a very challenging and hard way, because buying coffee in remote areas is very hard,” he said.
“We see the need to provide an income for the rural population as our priority.
“This co-operative started for this purpose alone.
“Many unemployed youths and individuals eventually came on board to be farmers, just to support themselves financially.
“The beans come from as far as Saidor in Madang. The bags travel on peoples’ shoulders, onto boats and vehicles, before they finally reach our main warehouse at Wasu.
“From Wasu, they are loaded onto a ship to be brought to Lae.
“There has not been any government support to cut down on costs.”
Terry said despite that, this year alone, the co-operative shipped 14 containers – the highest ever.
“In the previous years, we have been exporting around six to seven containers,” he said.
“We have been trading under Fairtrade International since 2012. There are 66 countries that want us to supply to them, but right now, we are unable to meet that demand.”