Industry conducting borer awareness

THE Coffee Industry Corporation and its partners are conducting a week-long coffee berry borer containment awareness in Eastern Highlands and Jiwaka.
The awareness is to educate affected farmers and seek their cooperation on stumping (cutting) exercises which is an important eradication strategy.
The major partners are the Apo Angra Angna Kange (AAAK Coffee Cooperative), coffee exporters, police, Productive Partnership Agriculture Project, members of the CIC board and other stakeholders in the coffee industry.
CIC general manager of the Research and Growers Services Division Dr Mark Kenny is leading the Jiwaka leg of the awareness move.
General Manager Industry Operations Division Steven Tumae, officers Matei Labun and David Elmai, technical officer Matei Labun, and team leader containment and eradication coordinator Dr Reuben Sengere are leading the Eastern Highlands leg.
Tumae said the borer was a global destructive pest which fed only on coffee beans.
It was detected in Jiwaka in February this year and in most parts of Asaro valley.
It is now also found in Keiya, in Ungai-Bena district.
“The CIC and partners are now fully engaged in awareness in affected communities to contain and possibly to eradicate it once and for all,” he said.
Tumae said coffee brought foreign reserves but the Government was not serious about funding its eradication.
He said the CIC asked for K60 million but was given only K5 million.
Manager Farmers Training and Extension Labu Matei said the borer would affect the economy of the Highlands.
The general manager of Apo Angra Angna Kange Coffee Cooperative, Brian Kuglame, said coffee would remain while the minerals would be gone tomorrow.