A local coffee cooperative in Eastern Highlands is prepared to stretch its business to the open market. The Numux Coffee Cooperative launched 100 thousand nursery seedlings recently, and is preparing to sell 10 thousand seedlings to a processing firm. Vice Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Henry Ame, had the honor of launching these two milestone achievements for the small group.
Cooperative Deputy Chairman Wanpis Max says interest has grown among farmers to place their product among the best in the country. The coffee nursery is a partnership project between CIC and local landowners.
CIC assisted with K50,000 to get this nursery up and running. With the nursery having a capacity of 100,000 seedlings, farmers in the area will access this to revive the crop.
Vice Minister Ame says the group must expand the seedlings to a kina-to-kina basis. He urged the cooperative to increase their capacity by sourcing funding from NDB with CIC’s help.
Outspan PNG, a non-government organisation, was the first buyer of the Numux Coffee product, paying K15, 000 for 10,000 seedlings.
