Polye favours coffee

National, Normal
Source:

The National- Friday, February 4, 2011

 COFFEE has the potential to change societies into business and enterprenual cultures.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister and Kandep MP Don Polye, income generated through coffee would help rural communities grow.

He said such agricultural intiatives were a sustainable way of helping the people.

Polye said this while commending open member for Wapenamanda Miki Kaeok at the launch of the district’s coffee development and rehabilitation project last weekFriday.

He said agriculture had benefits, especially with the rich LNG project in place, markets would open up, creating demand for food and crops.

Polye said Enga was rich, both in the extraction and renewable industries, and people had to make use of of this.

However, he said that unlike gold, oil and gas, coffee was renewable. 

He said in order to maximise benefits, strengthening systems of management was essential.

Meanwhile, Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) acting general manager for research and grower services Dr Mark Kenny said CIC would back the project.

A total of 500, 000 coffee seedlings would be distributed to more than 1,000 interested coffee growers free of charge.

In addition, 300 coffee pulpers, 300 pumps, 200 pruning saws, 4,000L Gramoxine, 4,000L Round-up, 100 pairs of gumboots, 300 pairs of hand gloves, 300 pairs of face masks, and 300 secateurs would also be given to the farmers.