Concerns over drastic decrease in plantations

 A LOCAL consulting firm reveals that the coffee plantations in Highlands have decreased drastically, from as high as 50 to 5.

“Coffee industry, the prime driver of our Highlands economy has disappeared completely,” Agmovers Ltd managing director Mathew Kanua.

“The coffee industry is almost like 95 per cent-plus in the hands of the small holders.”

Kanua was speaking during a workshop organised by Fresh Produce Development Agency, Institute of National Affairs and Consultative Implementation and Monitoring Council in Goroka, Eastern Highlands yesterday. 

“In the food sector, we’ve seen the rise of the humble sweet potato over the last 10 years,” he said. 

“Commercialisation of sweet potato has become really important now. 

“It’s becoming an important cash crop to the extent that the labour has actually been withdrawn from 

the coffee sector into the food sector.”

Kanua said there was increased trade internally between the regions. 

“We’ve seen the increase in internal regional food trade which we’ve never seen before,” he said. 

“There’s a lot of food actually coming up to the Highlands from coastal areas and a lot of food going down. 

He added that the multi- billion kina LNG project had driven demand for fresh produce.

“One of the notable developments is the LNG project,” Kanua said. 

“The US$19 billion (K50bn) as well as other minerals has created a very large demand for the fresh produce. 

“So we are seeing shift from one Agriculture sub sector to another,” he said.