Coffee trees cut to save industry

COFFEE growers in Jiwaka are going for a stumping (tree cutting) exercise in their bid to eradicate the coffee berry borer.
They are supporting the Coffee Industry Corporation-sanctioned stumping exercise after meeting an awareness team in Jiwaka last week.
Ward councillors, village court officials, church elders, youths leaders and coffee growers in North and Anglimp-South Waghi districts welcomed CIC officers to immediately carry out stumping exercises.
With the borer destroying their coffee beans, their source of income will be cut off.
John Gispe, a coffee grower from Kerowil was one of the first to support the stumping exercise.
He offered his three hectares coffee plot at Kalmang near Kerowil to be stumped because his garden was affected by CBB.
“There is no other way I could get my coffee back. It will be through the stumping that I will get it back with new shoots re-growing to bear cherries in three years’ time.”
Councillors Paul Gual, of Tolu Ward Two, and Robert Kupie, from the Banz LLG, and people from the respective LLG Wards, said CIC would be carrying out major stumping exercise as an important move to rescue coffee production.
Their people unanimously raised their hands aloft, indicating their full support for CIC Officers to carry out the stumping exercises.
The Jiwaka leg of the CBB awareness campaign was led by general manager for the Coffee Research and Growers Services Division, Dr Mark Kenny.