Rigo East is now the first LLG in the Rigo District of Central Province to establish a Coffee Nursery Farm.
The Rabua Makana coffee nursery has over 22, 000 coffee seedlings supplied by the PNG Coffee Industry Corperation.
Rabua Makana coffee nursery is a new initiative started in 2020 by Koia Investment Limited in collaboration with PNG Coffee Industry Corporation.
16 thousand seedlings of Robusta Coffee and 6 thousand Arabica coffees were distributed among the farmers. Each farmer received over 200 seedlings to be transplanted in their own farms.
According to the Provincial Coffee Coordinator for Central and Gulf Provinces, Jorine Hetora, about 122 hectares of land will be cultivated to plant coffee trees and the target is to cover 300 hectares of land.
He said the plan is to set up a coffee factory for the entire Central province and that is to build four factories; two for Robusta coffee and two for Arabica Coffee.
“Our plan is to set up a coffee factory here for the entire Central province and that is to build four factories; two for Robusta Coffee and two for Arabica Coffee. We have planned to establish dry and wet coffee processing mill here. We have an export point at the sea coast. The CIC will do documentation, and then we will export but the issue is we need the support from the government” Hetora said.
“Currently, the cost of putting up a coffee factory is K600 thousand to one million kina. In terms of building the factory, the CIC themselves will come and put up the factory but the simple assistance we need from the government is the building materials and the funding assistance”
“Regarding the issuing of license for dry coffee processing mill and export license, the PNG Coffee Industry Corporation (PNG CIC) will issue them as the first priority is given to the Central Province,” he said..
Deputy Administrator for Central Province Kila Gege assured him that the Central Provincial government will support the initiative in whatever ways possible.
He said the government has introduced the Coffee Ministry and a lot of opportunity will be introduced under this new ministry and this initiative is making the way possible for the farmers to benefit therefore the Central provincial government will support this initiative.
The Chairman of Rabua Makana coffee nursery farm and Chief of Rigo East, Biari Ubuna, pointed out that setting up a market close to the farmers will boost their (farmers) confidence to cultivate the land and focus more on growing coffee.
“Our interest now is to establish a coffee factory but to start off, we are doing the coffee nursery and supply the seedlings to the farmers. The farmers throughout East Rigo and Central province as a whole will do the farming and we will provide the market,” Ubuna said.
Ubuna added that, “We need to set up a market for our coffee farmers. When farmers harvest their coffees, the market is already there at their door step so that will give them the confidence.”
