Partnership moving towards setting up cupping facilities

THE Coffee Industry Corporation’s Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (CIC-PPAP) is moving towards setting up cupping facilities for growers to access, according to project manager Potaisa Hombunaka.
He said the move would help growers get a fair price for their coffee based on cup quality.
“At present processors and exporters buy parchment mainly at Y grade price,” Hombunaka said.
“Growers do not know the quality of their coffee as there is lack of cupping facility to access before they visit the buyers.”
The PPAP project office is arranging with the industry regulations and compliance division of CIC to beef up cupping services for growers in coffee growing areas or provinces.
The new one would be established at Coffee Industry Corporation substation at Panga, and beefing up of infrastructure and equipment at Goroka, Aiyura and Lae.
Hombunaka said the availability of cupping facilities would give effect to proposed grading system for green bean coffee which is based on cupping quality.
He added that coffee coming from smallholder sector had potential to rank in upper grades in terms of quality.
This intervention would remove discrimination for coffee growers who account for 85 per cent of yearly production in the country, based in rural Papua New Guinea.
“Growers who produces good quality coffee will reap the benefit through higher prices and that is good news that the partnership had resulted from,” he said.
“It is our responsibility to help them get a fair price and little bit more money into their pockets.”
Hombunaka said paying farmers well as per cupping quality would motivate them to continue apply best management practices at the growers’ level.
The proposed green bean grading standard has been awaiting gazettal to be facilitated by the National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology (Nisit) since 2016.
PPAP would also support funding towards training of Q-graders and barristers.
The later would ensure that those working in hospitality industry were trained to make a good cup of coffee for customers to enjoy, hence contribute towards promotion of drinking more Papua New Guinea coffee.