Go back to agriculture

I READ with interest that the dark gold coffee of the Goilala Mountains of Central would be showcased at the Coffee Specialty Expo in New Orlean, United States, and I congratulate Central Mamina Coffee founder, Nellie Varmari, for this.
Besides being a woman and coming from a least popular coffee growing region of PNG, you have made us, the silent coffee growers throughout the country very proud.
On the same note, I salute the Agriculture Minister John Simon with the remarkable level of energy that can take him throughout the breadth and length of this country in promoting agriculture, particularly perennial commodities at the highest level.
I cannot recall any performance of such magnitude by any agriculture minister in successive governments.
There was some effort along the same lines from then minister for agriculture of the former Government.
Therefore, I support Simon’s call for all commodity boards of coffee, copra, cocoa, and oil palm to be proactive in supporting the industry going forward.
The minister is going out of the comfort of his office to see for himself what farmers are facing out there.
The Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) is based in the high coffee growing region of PNG, the Highlands.
I have hardly seen any initiative taken by CIC contributing to earning export foreign currency, providing employment and sustaining livelihood of simple villagers.
There are no strategies in place to pick up production from the far plunged remote locations of particularly the Highlands.
Most of dark gold coffee of Tapini, Goilala, are no different to what can be produced by Maramuni, Yangis, Lapolama, Yambai Tok, Mamusi (Haggai), Lumusa, Simu Sip, Rulna, Kol, Jimi and Kambia, just to name few.
Establish coffee buying points so that the current roadside coffee price of K5 to K6 is passed down to the least reachable areas of PNG.
Coffee is a household name, some of us were educated with the help of fees generated from coffee and nothing else.
I am very proud to say this because when I look back, my poor subsistence parents could not have afforded my school fees from any other sources without the coffee plant.
I extend my gratitude to early Australian and New Zealand missionaries who not only landed on the shores of PNG to bring the Word of God, but also introduce coffee.
They balanced the physical and spiritual aspects of rural PNG communities.
I make particular mention of early Baptist pastor Rob Thompson of New Zealand and many colleague missionaries who sat foot in the beautiful valley of Baiyer River.
The same could be true and have their own history for other agriculture commodities throughout PNG.
My appeal to young people out there, including graduates; go back and rehabilitate your family-owned gardens.

Cocoa, Coffee, Copra, Oil Palm