PM praises coffee plan

 PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill praised Agriculture Minister Tommy Tomscoll and the management of the Coffee Industry Corporation for new plans to help lift the industry.

“I am happy to see Minister Tomscoll and the Coffee Industry Corporation devise plans to revitalise the coffee sector, which is responsible for looking after the welfare of four million coffee growers in PNG,” O’Neill said.

He said the government was working hard to fix problems that had been left unattended over the years and that there were many issues that needed addressing.

O’Neill called on coffee growers not to be lazy and work hard to take ownership of the industry as the government injected more money into it.

He gave K50 million to the coffee revitalisation programme, which would be used to restore and revive run down plantations, coffee blocks, extensions, freight schemes and other challenges facing the industry as it worked to increase export volumes to over two million bags.

O’Neill said the government has put K100 million into the National Development Bank for coffee farmers to borrow this year, last year it had put K120 million.

“Two percent of the world coffee goes out from PNG, it is important to maintain quality because we are competing with the rest of the coffee growing countries. 

“We must put in plans to move the industry forward, it is pleasing to see the department and CIC management taking the lead,” O’Neill said.