Enga coffee growers to start own factory

Business, Normal
Source:

The National, Friday 06th January 2012

PEOPLE of Kompiam district in Enga will soon sell their organic coffee to a local processor.
Over the years, they had struggled to take their coffee to far away Wapenamanda and Mt Hagen where conditions were hostile and tough at times.
The great relief came to the people on Christmas day when the Coffee Industry Corp (CIC) gave the people a coffee processing permit during the launching of  a K3 million Kompiam coffee rehabilitation extension project. 
The permit allowed them to put up a coffee processing facility with help from local MP John Pundari.
Pundari had earlier committed K3 million to the plant and rehabilitation project under his district services improvement programme, which was also partly financed by the national agriculture development Pprogramme.
The project was initiated by the Kompiam Cooperative Society Ltd (KCSL), which encouraged people to grow more coffee trees for additional income.
Speaking during the launching, Pundari told his people that coffee would be green gold if they would only embrace the project.
He said it would support them in terms of school fees, medical costs and other basic necessities such as food and clothing.
“This coffee project is very important … you should plant more coffee trees and make them your main income.
“Coffee project is a big investment and I will continue to support such projects in the district,” Pundari said.
He said the project would supply farmers with young coffee trees.
KCSL project coordinator Nathan Lapakio said people used to bring  their coffee produce to Wapenamanda and Mt Hagen.
“With the issuance of permit certificate for a dry processor, they would now be able to sell their coffee right here,” he said.
CIC training and extension manager Matei Labun said CIC would provide technical advice on coffee-growing.
They would also train trainers to sustain skills upgrade and knowledge on coffee planting and husbandry.
“Farmers could now easily sell their coffee to the processor and within one year people, should be able to produce 6,000 coffee bags to retain the factory permit, which is the requirement.
“If they are unable to meet the requirement, CIC could withdraw their licence,” Labun said.
He said Kompiam district had so far reached the anticipated 6,000 green bean bags in four months and that Kompiam was qualified to get the licence for a coffee processing facility. 
At present, there are 100,000 seedlings in the nursery ready for planting.  
The launching was witnessed by officers from the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD), Ipatas Foundation chairman Isaac Lupari, project Initiator Dr Ken Ngangan, CIC officials, provincial DPI officials, BSP representatives, public servants and the public.