Positive results for coffee rehab programme in Bulolo

Momase

THE Bulolo district coffee rehabilitation programme in Morobe is thriving with positive results.
The programme, under a partnership between the district development authority and the Coffee Industry Corporation, is beginning to improve farmers’ production.
The farmers are also reaping the benefits of their sweat from selling coffee bags.
The chairman of Ke Coffee Cooperative in Buang Luther Sonny said with 300 registered members, they have produced coffee that fetched them K150,000 for them so far.
Over at Biaru, Ilahalai Organic Coffee Ltd in Biaru also sold 700 bags and fetched K200,000 for its farmers in Dec 29, 2016.
Sonny said that their aim was to enable farmers to succeed in coffee production and create small-scale business opportunities in communities.
He said Ke Coffee Cooperative also signed a memorandum of understanding with Productive Partnership in Agriculture Program (PPAP) for K1.9 million to strengthen coffee projects.
The success of the programme has convinced the Bulolo DDA to purchase vehicles to encourage farmers transport coffee bags to Lae and seedlings back to villages.
Bulolo MP Sam Basil presented a vehicle to Ke Coffee Cooperative on Sunday.
At the opening of Buang High School, Basil told cooperative executives to have simple, basic and manageable project plans instead of looking for expensive consultants.
The programme was initiated in April 2014 with an aim to plant five million coffee trees over the next 10 years.
So far 210,000 coffee seedlings were distributed which the six local level governments receiving 42,000 each.
It was followed by coffee farm management training and the formation of 20 cooperative groups with 578 registered farmers who are now seeing changes.