By Mortimer Yangharry
Signing of the MoU between the respective districts and the Coffee Industry Cooperation earlier this week at the National Parliament, Port Moresby.
National Research Institute (NRI) Chairman Wilson Thompson is optimistic that country’s economic growth will be positive if districts throughout the country venture into commercial coffee growing as the country’s climate is conducive to grow coffee extensively.
Thompson, who is also the First Secretary to Coffee Minister William Bando, was speaking during the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between several District Development Authorities and Coffee Industry Cooperation (CIC) in Port Moresby recently.
Thompson highlighted that coffee is grown in almost half of the provinces in Papua New Guinea
“The coffee industry can unite PNG as we say, let’s talk over coffee,” Thompson said.
He mentioned that the MoU signed between the Abau, Hiri- Koiari, Wau-Bulolo, Obura-Wanenara, Hagen, Mendi, Nipa- Kutubu, Middle Ramu, Komo- Hulia and Koroba- Kopiago districts with the Coffee Industry Cooperation intended to inform and move the coffee industry forward starting from its historical roots in Central Province to Morobe to Eastern Highlands to the heart in Western Highlands and to the new fields of Hela and Southern Highlands and the hinterlands of Madang.
He mentioned that with the new Coffee Policy and proposed Coffee Bill, positive changes are expected in the industry in terms of board governance, accountability, administration, industry standards, regulations, research extension management and advisory support including penalty for breaches.
He is confident that the new Coffee Policy and the Coffee Bill will be supported by the government for the betterment of the rural populace throughout the country.
