Neknasi Coffee Cooperative from Boana will be exporting a container of coffee beans to Melbourne on the 9th of this month.
Coffee Industry Corporation Officers carried out tests on coffee bean samples for a rural cooperative in preparation for export today.
The beans are expected to fetch a price in the several thousands for some 200 farmers.
Yesterday coffee bags were brought from the Neknasi mill in Erap to Swire’s Coffee Bulking Facility.
Rose Romalus, the senior quality officer, and team members are doing crucial checks before the beans leave the shore.
Neknasi’s coffee has very good aroma, texture and taste.
” The coffee is of good quality,” says Romalus.
The coffee industry corporation has been very supportive with Neknasi being the first cooperative to start exporting using its reserved license.
“Its good that they export, because buyers can know where the coffee came from and deal directly with the cooperative,” says Romalus.
Neknasi is part of the National Governments Tree-to-Cup Policy that aims to involve local coffee farmers in small to medium enterprises.
Papua New Guinea exports around a million bags of coffee every year; this number is expected to increase this year.
Though exporters were important middle men in the past, the money will now come straight from the overseas buyers and directly into the pockets of the 200 plus farmers involved in the Neknasi Coffee Growers Cooperative.
