Export licence for coffee growers

 THE Obura-Wonenara district in Eastern Highlands is the first in the country to receive a coffee exporting licence under a new approach taken by the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC).
The license, issued to the Obura-Wonenara District Coffee Federation, enables the growers to export their coffee directly overseas.
This way they can get better prices.
CIC chief executive Anton Benjamin handed the licence to Obura-Wonenara MP Merrah Minne Kipefa and his district administrator Erenu Kasong at the Aiyura district administration.
Benjamin said CIC was trying to moblise growers, processors, exporters and  stakeholder to help the industry flourish.
He said though PNG may export a lower volume of coffee, it was of the highest quality.
“We are here to facilitate you to export coffee directly from the districts and earn good income from your hard work,” Benjamin said.
He said their efforts were complicated by law and order, poor transport infrastructures and other associated problems.
MP Kipefa thanked Benjamin and CIC for the exporting licence.
“I call on the people to grow more coffee because they will now get good prices from exporting their coffee,” he said.
He said he would be assisting farmers to organise their own coffee, vegetable and fish farming associations.