Foreign coffee | The National

Foreign coffee | The National

This is a burden lifted from the hard working coffee farmers for annually paying of their children's school fees. I hope and pray that Nestle will also see other cooperatives in PNG especially for Morobe Province benefit as well.
The children of the coffee farmers deserve better education through the seer determination of their parents. And as such help is a pat at the back for them. This will motivate the parents to really put 110% effort to produce best quality coffee in the end. Their children gaining proper and high education is a pride to parents and their society.
The company will mutually benefit from the effort put in to get the quality coffee beans

Fake farmers | The National

Fake farmers | The National

This report is really true. Keronge Coffee filled out the form for NADP funding but hesitated to submit to the Department of Agriculture. May be this problem will pop up and the Keronge Coffee reputation will be brought to smear.
PNG government must not go to sleep She must make sure bring these paper farmers to justice for the sake of the real and genuine rural farmers.

Hotter days predicted | The National

Hotter days predicted | The National

Giant African Land Snails Return To South Florida « CBS Miami

Giant African Land Snails Return To South Florida « CBS Miami

Networking boosts coffee

Source: 

The National,Tuesday 15th of January, 2013

THREE highlands-based coffee cooperatives are seeing more benefits from their ties with an international coffee association. More than 1,000 farmers under the Apo, Angra and Kange AAK) Coffee Cooperative Societies based in Eastern Highlands, Chimbu, Jiwaka and Western Highlands are getting good prices and will soon venture into a housing project with the purchase of two sawmills to process their timber. The cooperatives recently forged an alliance with the Switzerland-based 4C Association with assistance from Nestle and VolCafé, the parent company of PNG Coffee Exports. The 4C Association is the platform that brings together stakeholders in the coffee sector to address sustainability issues. To date, 250 members worldwide have joined the 4C platform. Cooperative coordinator Brian Kuglame said overseas partners also aim  to introduce more social and economic schemes like central wet coffee mills and help farmers in marketing and transport. “We see that the social and economic plans of our international partners are viable to assist our farmers’ needs and it is a good opportunity that they would not let go,” he said. Kuglame said the cooperatives were a role model for other farmer-based coffee cooperatives to link up with the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) and other coffee companies and organizations to access available services and opportunities. He said all credit for the success of the AAK Cooperatives should go to CIC for successfully implementing their eight point plan introduced in 2002 on grower-owned marketing. “CIC grower-owned marketing policy is a practical programme to empower and benefit disadvantaged farmers … AAK  Cooperatives has made it a reality to showcase that mobilizing growers to productivity is the way forward,” Kuglame said. Through the eight point plan, the CIC is promoting such grower-owned group marketing to achieve higher coffee quality, volume, income and other related incentives, including addressing labor issues.

Leave CIC alone

Source: 

The National, Thursday 10th January, 2013

I WISH to air my views on the recent politicking within the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) board and the conduct of one of the members.
I am well-versed with the industry and have some good understan­ding of the organization, having worked there for several years.
I understand the official took a loan and the matter eventually led to a long court battle.
CIC is now in capable hands under the leadership of Navi Anis, a well-respected and highly qua­lified professional who has had many years of experience working for reputable organization.
This official should leave Anis to continue the good work.