Marape launches coffee policy

PRIME Minister James Marape launched the Government’s coffee policy, which includes a target of 2,500 trees per family, on Friday.
He also announced that the Government would make sure that the price of coffee remained between K7 and K13 per kilogram for growers from next year.
Marape was speaking in Banz, Jiwaka, where he travelled to launch a coffee festival.
“Do not listen to critics on Facebook and in newspapers. There are political and corporate critics who are against what we are doing and saying because there is now a tectonic shift against their corporate interests from the status quo.
“We are taking care of your children’s education with free education. We are connecting the country with good roads so now you can have access to good markets. We are putting in programmes, so you can become engaged where you are.
“You must return to your land and work. Grow coffee.”
Marape explained part of the new policy to elevate coffee quality and individual family interest in the cash crop was to encourage as many families as possible within the 17 coffee-producing provinces to grow 2,500 trees.
The logic is that if families can get into smaller, more manageable coffee orchards as SMEs, they can concentrate on giving the trees and their beans the best care to ensure quality at the market.
“If one family can grow 2,500 trees; it can make between K21,000 and K25,000 per year to sustain itself,” Marape said.
Marape said beginning next year, the price of coffee would not be allowed to drop below K7 as the Government has a number of agriculture support programmes such as Price Support and Freight Subsidy to buffer against price drop.
“For price, A-Grade Coffee will make you between K9 and K13; B-Grade Coffee K8 and K12; and C-Grade Coffee K7 and K11. I assure you all, we will not go below K7,” he said.
Marape also called on the provincial governments of Jiwaka, Western Highlands and Chimbu to begin working collaboratively on coffee with a view to opening up a Special Economic Zone to develop this cash commodity further.
He committed K5 million to each of the two provincial governments (Jiwaka and WHP) and K2 million to each of the coffee-producing districts of Jiwaka (North Waghi, South Waghi, Kerowagi, Dei, Mul Bayer, and Jimi) to begin exploratory and preparatory work to coordinate and link all coffee growers and to begin implementing the 2,500 coffee trees per family policy beginning in 2023 which is supported in the budget.
Marape also used the time to call on the youth of Jiwaka to give up drug and alcohol abuse and return to toil their land, grow coffee and make money to better their lives.