Price support to boost coffee market price: PM

PRIME Minister James Marape says the commodity price support programme will support the current coffee market price.
Marape, who visited Jiwaka last week, said the programme would receive K200 million every year following the initial K50mil allocated last November.
The Government had already allocated K10 million, through the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), to support the coffee price. “This funding will support the current market price to be fixed at K6 per kg for Arabica coffee, K5.50 for Robusta coffee and K2 for Cherry coffee,” Marape said.
Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Simon said the CIC would work with five registered coffee dealers in Jiwaka who would pay the parchment price of K6 per kg and cherry at K2 per kg.
The same approach will be done at three buying points in Western Highlands, two buying points in Enga and Chimbu, and three buying points in Eastern Highlands, two in Morobe and one each in East and West Sepik for Robusta coffee.
CIC acting chief executive officer Charles Dambui thanked the Government for the price support.
“In the past, price support was executed at free on board price (green bean price) where only exporters benefitted,” he said. “We are now changing the approach.”
Dambui said the implementation phase through the buying points was crucial in the success of the programme and in determining its sustainability.
Marape said the Government did not believe in handouts and urged people to use the land to benefit from the price support.