PNG Coffee Exporters Council assures sector will not be affected by Japan quake, tsunami

PNG Coffee Exporters Council confirmed yesterday that the country’s coffee exports to Japan will not be affected by the earthquake-tsunami disaster.
“There will only be a minimal effect as the tsunami disaster occurred in the north of Japan which may have affected small sea ports which are not major coffee ports,” council chairman John Edwards said.
He said at this stage, coffee exporters had not felt any impact as communication to and from the affected areas in Japan was bad but added that a few coffee roasters of PNG coffee in the quake-hit Miyagi region might have been affected.
“PNG coffee exports to Japan will feel only a minimal pinch of the disaster,” Edwards, who runs  Goroka-based PNG Coffee Exports, said.
Kongo Coffee managing director Jerry Kapka, who exports green beans to Japan, also confirmed that despite the disaster, their volume of export to Japan would continue.
He contacted his clients in Japan who informed him they were not affected by the quake and tsunami.
However, Kapka said there were some coffee shops in the affected area who roasted and sold PNG coffee.
The Coffee Industry Corporation said tens of thousands of bags of coffee were exported annually to Japan by different exporters who have secured markets and clients there, adding that it was fortunate that the coffee industry was not likely to be hit by the disaster.