MP calls for eradication of coffee borer in PNG

By ZACHERY PER
COFFEE farmer and Daulo MP Ekime Gorosahu fears he and many others may see the value of their coffee reduced by the infestation of the coffee berry borer (CBB).
Gorosahu, who owns a 26-hectare coffee plantation in his district, plans to build a coffee nursery to supply 2,000 seedlings to local growers but this initiative would be jeopardised if the infestation was unchecked.
He called on the new Coffee Ministry, through the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), to take immediate action to avert a disastrous situation that could impact Daulo and other districts in Eastern Highlands.
He said the coffee industry was a lucrative and worthwhile venture but the sector needed support from authorities when issues and challenges came up.
“We cannot fetch the price we usually did because the weight of coffee is far less and below expected,” he said
We need immediate intervention from the Government through the Coffee Ministry and CIC to restore confidence,”
“Under my district’s Growing Economy programme, I am building a nursery to distribute coffee seedlings to families, and try to ensure we produce over a million bags annually.”