By Bethannie Harriman – EM TV, Lae
Lae’s Coffee Industry Corporation is a team tasked to monitor coffee beans going onto vessels bound for overseas markets.
The small office has a significant role, it makes sure coffee beans from all over PNG are of the highest quality.
Inspections done ensures that the world gets the best that Papua New Guinea has to offer.
Marie Kiliawi has worked in the CIC Lae branch since its establishment in 1989. She says a million bags of coffee beans are exported per year.
The number of bags has been constant through out the years, but the quality has slanted because farmers are now impatient and are looking to make quick money.
These concerns come as coffee beans are fast becoming a strong crop commodity in the agricultural sector.
This facility is the last focal point for coffee coming from the Highlands region, parts of the Morobe Province and several other coffee growing provinces.
CIC’s Industry regulation and Compliance Manager, Sam Menanga, described the Lae office as the last quality check point.
The team has revealed that over the years, the quality of coffee has been maintain, but new trees have to be planted, while roads and bridges must be built to connect coffee growing areas to them.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Fl0NxV6l__k%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
