Farmers call for freight subsidy

 COFFEE and rice growers in Karamui district, Chimbu, are calling on the Government to subsidise air freight.

Former provincial assembly member for Karamui Seberem Domu said at the Wasu Primary School, in Nomane, that bags of coffee worth more than K1 million were left to waste because farmers could not afford the high air freight cost.

Domu, a rice and coffee farmer, said coffee, peanut and rice farmers were badly affected by the air freight.

He said the Mission Aviation Fellowship operating between Karamui and Goroka was charging K320 per passenger and K3 per kilogramme on coffee, rice and peanut bags.

“I have about 20 dry coffee and rice bags in my house.

“I can’t sell them because I will be paying more on air freight and get less from my coffee when I sell them in Goroka,” he said.

Domu said the current price in Goroka was K3 per kg for “A” grade coffee.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill this week launched new plans in Goroka, Eastern Highlands, to revitalise the industry.

Domu said Karamui was well known for producing organic coffee which was attracted high prices on the world market.

He said people could produce more coffee but high transport cost was a big setback for them.

“I want to call on the National Government to subsidies our air freight to enable us to take our produce to the markets and sells them,” Domu said.

He added that about 14, 000 people in the remote Karamui district depend on their cash crops to get money and buy other things they needed to sustain their living, send their children to schools and  pay medical fees.