Lack of access to infrastructure affecting coffee production

The National Business

THE inadequate access to basic infrastructure and facilities has contributed to the country’s decline in coffee production over the last 10 years, figures from a study has shown.
The National Research Institute (NRI) found this among a couple of other challenges which contributed towards the drop in coffee production.
The challenges included:

  • INADEQUATE access to basic infrastructure and facilities.

Smallholder farmers, especially those who reside in remote areas, find it difficult to access facilities for milling and storage of coffee.
There are no good road networks to transport farm inputs and products to and from their coffee farms;

  • FARM management practices. Most of the coffee trees tend to have passed their economic productive age, which had resulted in a reduction of crop yield.

Necessary coffee husbandry practices, such as regular pruning and provision of shade trees, are either delayed or not done;

  • DIMINISHING yields and inconsistent quality of product.

The quality of coffee produced in PNG tends to be declining;

  • INADEQUATE extension services.

Coffee farmers, especially smallholders, need information about modern coffee production techniques.
However, they often find it difficult to access services from extension agents;

  • TECHNOLOGY – Modern technology could assist coffee farmers improve productivity and make coffee production more attractive;
  • CHANGE of cropping patterns.

Some coffee growers convert whole or part of their coffee fields to other more economical crops because of a decline in coffee market prices or issues associated with access to coffee processing facilities;

  • PESTS and diseases;
  • UNFAVOURABLE market prices;
  • ACCESS to finance.

Some coffee farmers wish to expand their coffee farm or purchase equipment for processing coffee.
However, they often found it difficult to access loans from commercial banks;

  • ACCESS to land for commercial coffee production; and,
  • SECURITY issues – Theft of coffee products, especially in rural areas, often a major concern for coffee farmers and increases production costs and losses.