Exporters put on notice to buy coffee parchment at competitive prices

The National Main Stories

COFFEE exporting companies in Eastern Highlands are being told to buy coffee parchment at competitive prices, Eastern Highlands Governor Peter Numu says.
“The newly set-up Rumbia Coffee Exports owned by the people of eight districts of Eastern Highlands province is now buying parchment for K6 per kg, this is giving higher price to the small coffee growers for the hard work in coffee production,” Numu said.
He challenged other coffee exporters, especially in Goroka, to buy coffee at higher price to motivate growers to keep their interest in coffee high.
Numu said Rumbia Coffee would always buy at higher price, giving 50 toea higher every time.
“Rumbia is now paying K6 per kg, if they come to K6 Rumbia will pay K6.50, if they come to K6.50, we will go to K7.”
Numu said the first export of a container to South Korea earned the people of Eastern Highlands US$72,000 (about K246,000).
“Doing coffee is a laborious work but coffee settles problems and answers to our needs like social obligations.
“My school fees were paid from coffee money,” he said.
“I want to tell the prime minister and the people that Eastern Highlands government will intervene to cut off middle-man buyers and exporters who monopolise price and control our coffee farmers.
“These people do not own coffee trees, they do not own land here, they are playing up with our small coffee growers.
“To rescue the margined farmers, EHPG created Rumbia Coffee Exports solely owned by the people,” Numu said.

11 comments

  • I hope Rumbia will survive……K6.00 for parchment coffee is unbelievable. Does the good Governor understands what he is doing? In business you will have costs no matter what.

  • What the good Governor is doing is sending a message to those who take growers for granted. Without growers, those middlemen and exporters are nothing. There has to be some kind of value given to the growers as the foundation of the industry.

    There isn’t any secret to improving the industry in terms of quality and quantity and the ultimate factor is the price. Subsidize the price and you see the desired growth in the industry and that is what exactly the Governor is doing. Not so called paper consultants, middlemen or exporter would do to improve the industry but again “GROWERS”.

  • I’m pretty surer the Governor is doing the right thing, despite of comments being made. If we read in between lines, Rumbia coffee exporter is owned by the people of EHP. Involvement of gov’t activities should not be seen as profit motives but a subsidiary to the people they represent. That’s exactly what the Governor is doing, the hard working coffee growers deserved the right to be served like this. Government structures are designed for services delivery but not for profit purposes.

    Note: I wish, if other Governors on same par!

    Job well done, Governor Peter Numa

  • Its surprising, an entity needs overheads costs to survive. Hope the Rumbia Coffee is operating on its own capital and returns without any seed capital from the Provincial Government and is realizing its actual position.

  • What will happen when the demand is low and there is no market?????When competition is is very high and demand is very low.Its going to be funny for Governor to boast.

  • The good governor is dreaming (maybe mere politics). K6.00 for parchment coffee?? after recovery (65% @90%) the green bean price will be K10.25. The FOB is K12.82………….. K2.56 the difference between Revenue and Purchase. Direct Cost (CIC levy, NAQIA, Shipping lines, Transportation (Lae), Customs lae) still has to be deducted. Indirect cost Must be deducted as well…………………….The shipment to Korea is already a loss. ..SOMETHING FISHY IS GOING ON HERE

  • What the good Governer is doing is so important, it implies that he have the heart for his people. I think this will motivate people to work extra hard in their coffee gardens and keep them busy.

  • I think what the good Governor is doing is very important, it will help us the hardworking coffee farmers in the rural setting to afford all our needs and wants and to afford our children’s school fees,and that will also motivates us to work extra hard in our coffee garden.

  • The middle man particularly the overseas buyers or local ones are bastards, stealing from people. Send them to where they came from..probably hell. Go governor..It is a politically driven but, once start to make money, it can sustain beyond the political life of Numu. The fear is the corrupt crooks in the administration

  • Good governor has the heart for his people. We Eastern Highlanders depends mainly on coffee. God bless you, Governor.

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