District gets K1.5mil for coffee

PRIME Minister James Marape has released K1.5 million for coffee development in Menyamya, Morobe, which produces some of the best coffee in the country.
He visited Menyamya station on Friday accompanied by Education Minister Jimmy Uguro, Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu and Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip.
Marape said of the K1.5 million, K1 million would be for a coffee depot and K500,000 for coffee price support to be administered by churches.
“I want the Menyamya administration to set up a good coffee-buying depot here so farmers don’t need to carry heavy bags on their shoulders to find markets in Bulolo and Lae,” he said. “I want coffee to be bought here at good prices, which farmers can collect, and then return to their gardens.”
Marape said the churches should use the K500,000 to buy coffee at good prices.
The Government has a price support programme for coffee, cocoa, copra, vanilla and other agriculture produce. “Coffee buyers who are buying here, and at Marawaka (Eastern Highlands) for K1.50 per kg, should now be paying K6 per kg,” he said.
“I am engaging the churches so they can involve young people and get them back to their coffee gardens.
“The churches will then buy coffee at a good price. “Our job as the Government is to help you get your produce to markets.
“If five million Papua New Guineans engage in agriculture, and produce one bag of coffee, cocoa or copra, you are contributing K1.5 billion extra on top of our national budget of K12 billion.”