Firm highlights need for extension services

THE Government and the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) need to step up extension services for coffee farmers throughout the country, managing director for Central Mamina Coffee Nellie Varmari says.
During a recent National Coffee Symposium in Port Moresby, Varmari highlighted that lack of extension service for coffee farmers was a real issue affecting the industry.
“There is literally a breakdown in extension services for rural coffee farmers and that is a very big issue that must be addressed by the Government through its responsible agencies like the CIC, Agriculture Department and the provincial and district governments,” she said.
“Like in Central, we have only one extension officer, how can he cover the entire province? We need more extension officers and that must be reviewed with capacity building and increased resource allocation to perform their task effectively.”
Varmari, through her company Central Mamina Coffee, has been receiving increasing interest from importers around the world, expressing interest to buy coffee produced in Papua New Guinea.
“I can say that we have received overwhelming interest from coffee importers around the world to buy PNG coffee but the issue here is producing coffee that meets their standards and demands,” she said.
“That challenge of improving coffee quality and standard can be achieved through very well coordinated and effective extension services for coffee farmers, so extension services must be reviewed.” Apart from producing and selling organic coffee grown locally in Central, she assists farmers to improve coffee production and quality.
Goilala MP William Samb and Central Governor Robert Agarobe have established a partnership with Varmari’s company to support coffee farmers in the province.
And she also called on MPs for Rigo Leka Gure and Kairuku-Hiri Peter Isoaimo to come on board.
Varmari said her coffee business, which she started in 2014, was not about making money but helping coffee farmers to get the best value of the coffee resource in PNG.
She is aiming to establish a small coffee mill over the next five years to assist coffee farmers in Central.