Farmers helping in coffee borer control

AROUND 600 members of a small coffee growers’ cooperative plan to help the Government eradicate the coffee berry borer in farms.
The members of the Apo Angra Angna Kange cooperative in Chimbu on Monday vowed to support the efforts of Coffee Industry Corporation and National Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Authority (Naqia) to combat the pest.
AAAK cooperative chairman Jerry Kimam and director Ben Siwi took tools and equipment from its head office in Goroka to be distributed to farmers in Chimbu.
“Our investment in coffee is under threat when CBB is infecting our coffee trees. Coffee is our only source of income,” Kimam said.
He said AAAK had a well-structured network which would make it easy to manage and eradicate the pest.
Kimam called on the Government and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to make funding available for the CIC and NAQIA because “it is an emergency situation threatening the income of PNG farmers”.
Siwi said: “We have 605 active coffee growers under Angra Coffee Cooperative now gearing to support the fight against CBB. We always make sure our coffee trees are healthy and give us good coffee cherries.”