Coffee under the fair trade radar

The Fair Trade organization has come to Papua New Guinea and doing very well. This organization looks at a lot of cash crops such cocoa, copra, coffee, sugar cane, etc. Fair Trade has certified few coffee and cocoa companies and co-operative societies of Papua New Guinea. They meet certain requirement and standards which Fair Trade has set. Fair Trade independently audit organizations and verify their conformity with the Fair-trade Standards. Their certification process ensures that economic, social and environmental standards are met in the production of (agricultural) products and is aimed at both producers and traders. It also ensures that producers receive a Fair-trade Minimum Price and Premium.

 

Why fair-trade certification?

The following are some reasons for their certifications. (1) They ensure credibility of Fair trade labeling towards Customers; (2) Credibility is one of the big selling points of Fair trade (3) Manage Risks for Producers and Traders 3 (i) Reputational Risk: Co-Branding (ii) Market Risk: Reliable Framework. According to the meeting in Madang in July 2011 a triangle was shown how the Fair Trade certificate is earned. At the top (Apex) of the triangle is the Certification, the left hand-side is development and the right-hand side is the secure supply. This secures the certification. Many organizations which are certified are enjoying the premium prices for the Fair Trade. A big player is a cocoa cooperative in Wewak, East Sepik Province.

Pulping coffee manually

The love and desire of Coffee is highly cherished in nearly all of the remotest parts of Papua New Guinea where coffee is grown as a cash crop. Coffee is harvested and delivered either to the village or where small coffee plot owners dwell. The freshly harvested cherries are manually pulped. It is an activity the whole family carry out. The people form either a circle or a rectangle around the cherry mount and they pulp as many cherries as they can. One such place is a village in Obura-Wanenare electorate in Eastern Highlands Province as shown in the image.

This is not unique to Obura-Wanenare only. Kumukio in Sialum local level government, Morobe Province also faces the similar scenario. A portable drum pulper costs approximately PGK800.00 (US$320.00). This vital piece of equipment is unaffordable to this people. Manual and machine pulping do the same quality of work. However, in terms of rate which is measured as mass per unit of time indicates manual pulping as the slowest (at the snail speed). The average is 5 kilograms per hour whereas machine pulping does 60 kilograms in one hour. Machine is highly recommended because it is twelve time efficient. The political leadership of Papua New Guinea should realize that coffee is one cash crop that helps the remote people’s cash economy. Hence, more funds and resources should be concentrated on this vital cash crop in terms of purchasing portable coffee machines.

Waghi folks lose control of farm

Source: 
JAMES APA GUMUNO

THE people of North and South Waghi in Western Highlands no longer own Waghi Mek Coffee Plantations Ltd, a National Court in Mt Hagen learned yesterday. A lawyer representing two defendants produced a document to show that the people of the two electorates now owed only Damine Plantation. Bossipe Aipe said that the 45ha of coffee trees were being invaded by thick bush. He said the councils of North and South Waghi and managing director Dick Hagon had owned 14 plantations, including Waghi Mek Coffee and Damine. It was now no longer the case, he told the court. Eleven plantations had been transferred to Eastern Pacific Mines Ltd, a company owned by Mr. Hagon, he said.

The titles were transferred in April 2007 by the Bank South Pacific, he said. Two others, namely Wagamil Main and Wagamil Extension, were still owned by Wagamil Plantation Ltd, he said. Mr. Aipe, counsel for Sam Yuants and Paul Pou, was making his submissions before Justice Allan David. Waghi Mek Plantations Ltd is suing his clients over the transfer of the titles. They are claiming that the company does not having standing to sue them and wants the entire proceedings dismissed.

On Monday, Mr. Aipe said the court should dismiss the matter and recommend to the authorities to investigate how the titles were transferred to Eastern Pacific Mines. He said the plaintiff knew about it but chose not to disclose it. He described it as a total abuse of the court process and that the matter should be dismissed. Mr. Aipe said according to the Lands Department, Eastern Pacific Mines held the titles over the following plantations previously owned by Waghi Mek Plantation – Talu, Karmal, Mintal, Karamang, Banz Block, Warakar, Sigiri, Jibina, Waghi, Kilip and Mangara. He said Wagamil Plantation still held the title over the Wagamil Extension and Wagamil Main plantations. "The plaintiff has filed proceedings alleging that it owns these plantations referred to by Mr. Hagon's affidavit filed on Jan 26.

"A file search at the Lands Department in Port Moresby shows that Waghi Mek Plantation Ltd owns only one plantation known as Damine being portion 158 volumes 43, folio 141." He said the Government had promised to allocate K20 million to rehabilitate Waghi Mek Plantations Ltd but it would seem that the North and South Waghi LLGs no longer owned the plantations.
He claimed that some people had transferred the plantations to Eastern Pacific Mines. Peter Kopunye, representing defendants Ben Kombangil and Michael Mondo, said he was ready to proceed with his motion but that Mr. Aipe's motion should be dealt with first together with the others filed by the counsel for the other 13 defendants. On June 19, the plaintiff was granted a court order restraining the defendants from cutting, felling and milling timber in the plantations.

Be the coffee bean

Source:

Post Courier, New Age Woman

http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120427/frhome.htm

This is a very good illustration for real life situation and Coffee bean is one of the items used for this parabolic statement.

Drink for and be like a coffee bean that releases its aroma and flavor...."A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

It seemed that, as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” the young woman replied. The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened! The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” the mother asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?” Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong but, with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit but, after a death, a break-up, or a financial hardship, does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and and flavour.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Lighting things up

Source: 
The National, Friday 27th 2012

IN Papua New Guinea, which has no national power grid but large river systems and abundant sunshine, renewable energy has tremendous potential to transform remote rural lives with clean and sustainable electricity. Ten years ago Nick Nait, who lives in a small village near Mount Sion in the Eastern Highlands with his wife and children, introduced electricity to his household for the first time. While working for a missionary organization Nait learnt how to make solar power systems and subsequently built a small one for his two-room dwelling. The single solar panel powers a radio, lighting and television. For Nait, solar power is affordable and dependable. "It depends on the weather, but when there is sun, there is no problem," he said, "It is very reliable and I rarely have to do repairs."

After the initial cost of making and installing the solar unit, he has had few ongoing expenses and, once fully charged, the system will provide light in his home for one month. Like Nait, many people living in the rural Highlands face economic and environmental challenges. Garaio Gafiye of Clean Energy Solutions, a consultancy for renewable energy projects in PNG, told IPS, "The Highlands is a very rugged area and there are so many communities. Renewable energy is very important, especially hydro, there is so much of it, and solar also. But the problem is incomes are very low in the Highlands and managing money can be quite difficult."
Families have been forced to become very resourceful in order to access energy at minimal expense.

"Solar is very easy to install," Gafiye continued; "Now if you go to some of the communities, (at least) one or two people have solar systems, just simple ones. They just get the panel and a battery and put it together." Obtaining sustainable electricity has made a vital difference to Nait's family. "We now have lighting in our home, access to information and the news from radio and TV and my children can do their school work and study in the evenings," Nait explained, "Although we do not have an electric stove, my wife finds it very helpful to have lighting while she is cooking at home." Now he plans to expand the capacity of his solar unit to drive a water pump and eventually bring clean water from a nearby well to his home. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), without access to energy, developing countries become trapped in poverty. The denial of choices to improve human development through energy is known to negatively impact infant mortality, life expectancy and income generation, among many others.

Sadly, this year, the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, the IEA estimates that 1.4 billion people, or nearly one quarter of the world's population, remain without access to electricity. PNG Power Limited, the nation's only power provider, claims it is unfeasible to construct a national grid system due to dense mountainous topography and long distances between load centers. Therefore, many villages still rely on traditional biomass, such as firewood, for cooking and heating, with diesel generators providing a popular alternative. But the high price of fuel means that generators are used sparingly, often for no more than a few hours each day. "It is very cheap to purchase a diesel engine, but it won't last long," Gafiye said, "It could last four or five years but after that, if you work out the economics, it is not (cost efficient) to keep running it."

Renewable technologies, which are practical for standalone systems and provide power 24 hours per day, are the best option for those living in remote areas.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the total primary energy supply in PNG is 145.9 petajoules (PJ), of which renewable energy accounts for 115.2 PJ (roughly 79 percent). Electrical capacity is 699 megawatts, with renewable electricity comprising 271 MW (about 39 percent of the total). Hydroelectricity presently accounts for 65 percent of PNG Power's electricity provision and also supplies all the electricity required to implement the government's Rural Electrification Programme. Jacob Yala, who works for the Rural Electrification Programme in the Eastern Highlands, said it was a very good state initiative, but there were labor and logistical challenges. "The PNG Power training college in Port Moresby has not been operating for some time," Yala said. "So for the past five years, we have experienced a manpower shortage. We've got five regions in Papua New Guinea to work (but) we cannot develop all the regions at the same time."

The terrain presents additional obstacles. "In 2009, we began a 42-kilometre electrification project near Kainantu, but could only energize a seven- kilometer stretch because road access to the area was too difficult," Yala continued. The programme now focuses on providing electricity to community service centers, such as medical clinics, hospitals and schools. Meanwhile, for village households where livelihoods mostly centre on subsistence agriculture, solar can be more viable than hydro power. "Solar is successful, it is not a problem," Gafiye said. "But for hydro, one kilowatt in the Highlands will cost 20,000-30,000 kina. In the coastal area, where there are wharves, it is cheaper because transportation costs are almost nil. But once you transport materials up by air and land (into the Highlands), the cost will increase."
Solar equipment can be readily acquired in PNG, but turbine generators for hydroelectric schemes have to be custom made by an overseas manufacturer. Renewable energy will be critical to sustainable development in Papua New Guinea, and the wider Pacific Islands, as they confront high fossil fuel costs and the impacts of climate change.

In 2007, the Pacific Islands Greenhouse Gas Abatement through Renewable Energy Project (PIGGAREP) was initiated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Funded by the Global Environment Facility and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the project aims to address impediments to the widespread implementation and use of renewable energy technologies by Pacific Island states. Meanwhile Papua New Guinea's investment in the renewable sector could significantly expand if a proposed joint venture, between PNG Sustainable Development Programme Limited and the Australian company Origin Energy, proceeds, following feasibility study. The Purari Hydro-Electric Project would draw on the capacity of the Purari River in the Gulf Province to generate an estimated 1800 megawatts of renewable electricity for rural communities and public service providers.

Fun roasting coffee at home

Coffee is a popular any time drink and one whose taste can vary depending on how the coffee is brewed and the type of coffee beans used. If you want to control the flavor of your coffee, you may want to consider roasting your own coffee at home. This is a simple procedure that requires minimal equipment. However, you may need to try the procedure a few times first in order to obtain the coffee taste that you desire. To roast coffee at home you will need a standard frying pan. The size of the pan varies depending on how many beans you are roasting. Also, you will need dry, unroasted (green) beans that you can purchase from a coffee specialty store. Place the beans in the pan and turn your stovetop on to medium-high heat. As the beans roast you must turn them frequently to avoid burning them. Normal roasting time is approximately 15 minutes. During the roasting process you will notice the beans changing color from light green/brown to a darker brown. In addition, a coffee aroma will be generated from the pan. It is very important that the beans be turned constantly as they roast. This preserves the beans' flavor and aroma.

When the beans have roasted for some time, you will notice that they will become greasy. This occurs as the natural oils within the beans are released during the roasting process. Once the oils appear on all the beans, the roasting process is concluded. At this point, if you prefer a stronger or harsher coffee taste, continue to roast the beans an additional 5-7 minutes. After the beans are roasted, remove them from the pan and place them on a plate that is covered with a paper towel or cloth. Placing the beans on a paper towel or cloth is necessary to remove some of the excess oils from the beans. Keep the beans on the plate until they are cool to the touch. Once cooled, you can ground them for use or move them to a storage container. Selecting beans to roast depends entirely on the taste that you want your coffee to have. Besides the country where a coffee bean is grown, coffee beans differ in quality depending on the altitude at which they are grown. Lowland, high altitude, and higher altitude beans all have different tastes; the higher altitude beans have more flavor and aroma than the lower altitude ones. It is also important to note the blend type of the coffee. For example, Arabica is a mixture of beans that were originally grown in the Middle East but which are now grown worldwide. This coffee type produces a strong coffee with a harsher taste and is typically used in espresso and Turkish coffee. Meanwhile, mountain-grown blends are milder, more flavorful, and are popular as general all-purpose coffees.

Because coffee companies produce many variations on coffee blends you may want to inquire first about the types of beans used in a blend before you purchase them for roasting. Additionally, if you are willing to experiment, purchase bean types separately and make your own mix for roasting.

Wet processing method

This technique of processing ensures a much higher quality product. It is always used for preparing mild Arabica coffee, particularly in Central and Latin America. This method is currently used in Papua New Guinea farms, Keronge coffee is no exception. It requires processing equipment (for the initial cleaning/classification-pulping-fermentation-washing and drying). The method is good when there is an abundant supply of clean water, and the harvesting of ripe fruits only. An important difference from the dry processing method is that most of the outer coverings of the coffee bean are removed before drying.

1.         Receiving

It is important that only ripe fruits are harvested, as existing pulpers cannot deal with green berries or berries that have dried on the tree. The crop must be transported as quickly as possible to the processing centre to avoid heating of the mass, which can result in irreparable damage (production of discoloured beans, sticker beans, etc.). The crop is generally unloaded into a receiving tank equipped with an overflow weir to remove the floaters. This simple system fulfills several functions: separating floating from non-floating berries, eliminating sand and stones. And removing leaves/twigs, etc. the floaters, made up of berries dried on the tree and insect-attacked are then generally processed by the dry method.

2.         Pulping

            Pulping consists of removing the exocarp (outer) and the major part of the mesocarp (fleshy portion), which is referred to as the ‘pulp’. If is a delicate operation, for if the bean itself is damaged it will be susceptible to microbial attack and penetration by undesirable substances. The principle on which the pulpers work is essentially the ‘tearing off’ of the exocarp and mesocarp of the berries, which operation is carried out under running water. Conventional pulping does not remove all of the mesocarp, which the mucilage is adhering to the parchment surrounding the actual coffee beans together with the testa. The yield expressed as dry green coffee varies with the species: Arabica at 15% - 19%, robusta at 18% - 23% and Arabica at 13% - 16%. The various types of pulper are described in the sections following.

3.         Separation/Classification

            The berries are not perfectly sorted in the receiving tank; there is a further opportunity after they have left the pulper, again by flotation by different means. This is particularly appropriate for mild Arabica coffee, since, for example, floating parchment coffee (i.e. with the pulp and mucilage removed) contains very few healthy beans. The following methods can be used at this stage.

            i)          Draining

                        Using small vertical boards acting as a spillway for circulation in running water, the lightest beans go the furthest, and the heaviest are stopped by the first boards.

            ii)         Use of Fermentation Tanks

                        Fermentation to remove mucilage is described on following notes on fermentation together with the operation of the tanks.

            iii)        Aagaard Densimetric Grader

                        This grader is based on the jigging principle used to separate minerals from coal. Jigging consists of placing the heterogeneous matter on a sieve submerged in water. The sieve moves to create ascending and descending currents, and with each pulsation the beans are suspended and resettled. The heaviest beans move towards the bottom of the layer and lightest move towards the top. When this machine is positioned between the pulper and repasser, it separates the mass into three categories: small berries that have not been pulped, heavy beans that are removed by a scraper conveyor, and light beans.

4.         Fermentation

            The objective of fermentation is to hydrolyse the mucilage, already mentioned, in order to facilitate its final removal during subsequent washing. If mucilage remains present during drying, there is the risk of undesirable fermentation, which is detrimental to the quality of the coffee. Biochemically speaking, the hydrolysis of pectin is caused by a pectinase already in the fruit, but the reaction is accelerated by different micro-organisms, such as Saccharomyces, which also a have pectinolytic properties. The rate of hydrolysis depends upon the temperature; consequently, it is necessary to adapt the length of the fermentation period to existing ambient conditions. Some micro organisms can cause off flavours to develop, particularly in prolonged fermentation. It is important to prevent the development of harmful species (moulds, aerogenic coli) by encouraging the development of acidogenic species.

Fermentation can be carried out either ‘dry’ or under water.

Fermentation is most often carried out in concrete tanks, which vary considerably in size. For small scale production like the ones practice in Papua New Guinea copper dishes, bucket and canoes are used. The length of the fermentation time differs mainly as a function of climatic conditions and the condition of the crop.

Big sales for Keronge coffee

In the year 2009, Keronge coffee made a big sale. The coffee parchment were all gathered and packed together at Wagum (Nanda). They were weighed and packed properly into white coffee bags at 50 kilograms per bag. There were all together over 3 tones. The parchment bags were delivered by Sulu Raider a trucking company in Sialum. It was also assisted by Blue Bird another trucking company from Bakon village. The former is from Wetnga mixed Zankoa village. The both companies charge are freight of PGK20.00 per bag. The 3 tones was shifter from Wagum to Finschafen for almost 4 days. The coffee bags were then shipped to Lae by the MV Maneba of Lutheran Shipping. The freight charges were almost PGK170.00 The 3 tons of coffee was transported to Biwapi coffee processing facility at nine mile in Lae. The facility process the coffee of a cost of PGK0.10 per kilogram. The transport cost was PK5.00 per bag.

After the processing samples were taken to Coffee Industry Corporation which requested for samples to be tested before the green bean is going to be sold or exported. The report was favorable. There was a 80% recovery from the processing. This implies that 80% of 3,000 kilograms were sellable to the buyer. Approximately, 2.4 tones of green bean coffee were packed and ready to be sold to the buyers. A buyer was found and the beans were sold at PGK10.00 per kilogram. A total of PGK24,000.00 was made from this shipment.

US buys Kabwum coffee

By Frank Rai

Post Courier 28th February 2012

Organic coffee from the remote Kabwum District of Morobe Province has for the first time reached the shores of the United States of America (USA). The project was spearhead by remote Yus Local Level Government (LLG) council area, the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP), Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), and a USA-based coffee company, Caffe Vita with local coffee farmers.

The move was an outcome of the local people’s commitment to pledge their land to conservation, especially protecting endangered species of the tree kangaroo. The project known as PNG YUS farm Direct Coffee is now available in limited edition, 340g bags at Seattle, Washington Caffe Vita locations and online at

“For the first time, these farmers have a real opportunity to earn the money they need to put their children through school and provide for their health care,” he said. Mr Sipa said Caffe Vita was willing to pay a premium price for the YUS beans not only for their quality which was enhanced through technical trainings from CIC’s extension officers, but also because of the environmentally friendly produce. Meanwhile, Woodland Park Zoo senior conservation scientist and director of the zoo’s Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program Dr Lisa Dabek said the mountainous YUS LLG was so remote, with no roads leading in or out of the area. Dr Dabek said the area was only accessible by light aircrafts and the organisations knew that this effort could only be possible with the guidance of an expert partner who could help establish an infrastructure for transporting coffee as well as real market products. The doctor said Caffe Vita stepped up not only to provide the structure and market support, but also came to PNG to meet the farmers, train them on coffee cultivation techniques and help improve their product to the sensibilities of the gourmet Seattle coffee market.

"The farmers of YUS have shown remarkable progress toward implementing the changes necessary to improve yields, and, more importantly, the quality of their coffee," said Daniel Shewmaker, Caffe Vita sustainable coffee buyer said. "Our goal is the continual refinement of these farming and processing practices, with the reward being an improvement to their livelihoods, a strengthening of the conservation area, and a cup of coffee like no other." The coffee available on shelves now is a blend made up of the best in beans from several YUS villages purchased from a total of 54 farmers. The coffee project is one aspect of the YUS CA long term partnership

http://www.caffevita.com/ . However, grown in shade without the use of pesticides, this marks the first-ever coffee from the Yus LLG made commercially available in the U.S, purchased directly from the growers at a premium price. “The YUS farmers have had so many challenges trying to sell their coffee in the past, but now they have reason for hope,” Benjamin Sipa, TKCP Sustainable Livelihoods Co-ordinator said.

PNG coffee rated highly

WESTERN Highlands coffee farmer Madan Coffee plantation has landed PNG in the top five specialty coffee producer in the world. Madan, which is a member of the Rainforest Alliance Certified farms in the world, took part in the Rainforest Alliance’s December Cupping for Quality, held at the Specialty Coffee Association of America Lab in Long Beach, California. Madan scored high, ranking fifth after Peru and Kenya. The Rainforest Alliance’s biannual cupping event recognizes farmers around the world for their hard work in producing high quality sustainable coffee. During the event, a total of 45 coffee samples from eight origins were submitted. More than 95% of the samples scored above 80, the threshold for the designation of “specialty coffee”, which also indicated that sustainable farming could contribute to the production of high quality coffee. Madan scored 84.56 after top scoring Tunki in Peru (87.92), Deep River Kwanyoka Estate in Kenya (86.06), Peru’s Ururi (85.25), and Mihando in Kenya (85.19). Other estates and plantations, which made it into the top ten include Kenya’s Githaka (84.50), Kihuri Estate (84.41), Machure Estate (84.33), and Muthaite (84.31), while Parry Estate’s Kona Gold Coffee plantation in Hawaii, USA, ranked 10th (84.25).

Event hostess and coordinator of the Alliance’s Sustainable Agriculture division, Maya Albanese, congratulated Madan and the other coffee farms for producing more and better quality coffee. According to Madan Coffee and Tea plantation general manager Isaac Yalde, who was at the meet, Albanese had stressed that the improvement of workers conditions and livelihoods was essential for the farms productivity. Albanese also said the reduction of waste, energy consumption and agrochemical usage, increased soil quality and biodiversity, and facilitated the production of better crops. Established in the 1960’s, Madan is located in the Waghi valley in Anglimp South Waghi, which was recently declared a part of the new Jiwaka province.

It is owned and operated by Highlands Arabica’s Ltd, which ensures that the coffee is grown and processed at Madan and exported directly to roasters all over the world, including the US, Norway, Australia, Japan and Eastern Europe.http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/29186

Two main processing methods of coffee

At the coffee production sites (farms and estates), two different main methods of processing are used to obtain intermediate products that will subsequently be treated in exactly the same way to provide the coffee beans of commerce.

These methods are dry processing, which produces dried cherry coffee and wet processing, which produces (dry) parchment coffee. Dry processing is generally used for Robusta coffee, but is also used in Brazil for the majority of Arabica coffees. Wet processing, on the other, hand, is used for Arabica and results in so-called mild coffee, when fermentation is included in the preparation process. Dry processing is very simple and, most important of all, is less demanding in respect of harvesting, since all the berries or cherries are dried immediately after harvest. In contrast, wet processing requires more strict control of the harvesting as unripe berries or berries that have partly dried on the tree cannot be handled by the pulping machines.

After drying, the processing stages (or so-called curing) of dried cherry coffee and parchment coffee are very similar, differences lying in details of the equipment used to remove the remaining outer coverings from the green coffee beans, size grading and colourimetric sorting

Morobe coffee ranked third in PNG

http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120425/wehome.htm

MOROBE Province has beaten Chimbu Province to secure the third highest ranking in coffee production in the country, according to the 2011 coffee production figures compiled by the Coffee Industry Corporation Ltd. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Coffee Industry Corporation Ltd (CIC) Navi Anis revealed that Morobe’s coffee production made a historic record of 91,051 while Chimbu’s production fell slightly at 71,174 bags with close to 20,000 bags difference. Mr Anis, however, said production figure for Chmbu Province may not reflect its true status, as coffee from the province are usually brought down to sell in Goroka and can be recorded under production figures for Eastern Highlands. Eastern Highlands Province led the production with 695,312 bags while Western Highlands Province with 543,893 bags.

The figures are usually collected and compiled by CIC through copies of sales dockets provided by coffee companies operating in each province. Meanwhile, an elated Morobe-based CIC’s provincial farmer training and extension coordinator, Simon Gesip, was delighted to hear the news and praised the effort of networking partners in the province, including Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, Bris Kanda, Mainland Holdings Coffee Division, Morobe Provincial Government’s Extension arm of SSCF, all district Department of Agriculture Livestock officers and the coffee farmers in the provinces for their dedication and hard work. He said the achievement was through committed partnerships between these stakeholders. Another factor to the high production is the determination of the humble Morobe farmers to target selling their coffee in the high value international coffee markets.

Two advanced groups are the Neknasi Coffee Growers Corporative Group from Nawaeb District and the YUS Conservation Coffee from the remote Kabwum District. They are linked with Fairtrade (Australia & New Zealand) and America-based coffee company, Caffe’ Vita respectively.

Other coffee farmer groups in the nine districts of Morobe, including Finschaffen, Wau/Bulolo, Menyamya and Tewae/Siassi are preparing to follow suit. According to a recent socio-economic survey done by the National Research Institute, food crops is the leading agricultural produce of the province, followed by betelnut and coffee.

Coffee license practices in PNG

FIVE new coffee grower groups have been granted permits by the Coffee Industry Corporation board to build factories. They are the East New Britain Coffee Growers Corporative Association, Enga-based Kompiam Co-operative Society Ltd, Eastern Highlands-based Logia Wago Coffee Management Services, Chimbu-based Neretere Coffee Ltd and Mt Hagen-based Rokel Wet Factory. Goroka-based Hanu Coffee Producers had obtained a license for dry processing aside from a license to build a dry coffee factory.

“License and permits were approved for these coffee companies after a full inspection of their facilities by the CIC coffee inspectors,” CIC chief executive Navi Anis said. He urged coffee companies to comply with the license and permit agreements and move to the higher levels of the coffee business. Meanwhile, a total 121 licenses and permits for various coffee businesses were approved for this year.

They include six manufacturing companies, 17 exporters, 49 dry processors and 37 wet processors while seven permits to build a factory were renewed. A total of 23 licenses were not approved due to non-compliance issues. However, Anis said the companies could re-apply next March once all compliance issues had been resolved. License and permits for the respective coffee companies were issued to them starting last week.

There are guidelines given by the Coffee Industry Corporation to follow to get an export license. Mainly the exporters in Papua New Guinea are companies from overseas. The guidelines have a very high standard. The Papua New Guinea small holder coffee farmers need to raise up to meet this requirement. These requirements are also good because the Papua New Guinea should be competitive in the world market.

What happens in the coffee industry is there are more than 70% smaller holder coffee growers. They supply the market with the produce. However, the plantation or the exporters buy either parchment or green beans and blend well with the plantation grown coffee beans. These are then bagged and sold as plantation coffee. The smaller holders due to lack of resources and fund do not have the capabilities to export. The big exports and plantation manipulate the system very well. The government of definitely need to intervene in terms of assistance in corporative societies. The small holder farmers can mobilize and seize the opportunity.

Coffee farming and sales practices in Gerup, Morobe Province

Coffee in Sialum is farmed on plots by individual family head. The farmers initially clear bush either a virgin forest or grassland for the case of coastal or shrubs for those who live less than 800m above sea level. The two main types of coffee are the arabica and the robusta. The highlands area cultivate the arabica, (arusha) and the coastal and inner lands plant the robusta coffees. The land is prepared by the assistance of the family or clan members. The pegs are lined according to the measurement. The holes are dug. The seedlings are planted. After one to two weeks the coffee seedlings will grow few new shoots or leaves. The first flowering would be after three years. For almost five years individual trees would be bearing like the what the picture is showing.

The farmers harvest coffee cherries and deliver them near a water source. The cherries are processed by first introducing into the pulping machining. The pulps are remove with the aid of water. The pulp coffee beans are place in clean water buckets where they are washed thoroughly. Washed coffee are placed in dishes or buckets and left for 24 to 48 hours for fermentation. In this process the mucilage is fermented. The beans are washed again.

The cleaned beans are placed on the wire mesh trays for sun drying for almost 3 days depends on the sun shine. The beans are tested the drying technology by placing a bean in between the thumb to see if the coat hull of the bean can easily peel off. The parchment beans are bagged and stored in the coffee shed for transportation to the coast. At the coast especially Nanda for those delivered from Keronge. The transportation from Gerup to Nanda was by the family or clan members. This is because there is not road like for delivery to the coast. The Sialum local level government really needs to get its acts together to construction a proper road Nunzen to Gerup.

The Gerup peope excluding other surrounding villagers coffee values nearly two million kina. The parchment beans are properly bagged in juke coffee bags of 50 kilogram each and sawn. These bags are then transported to Maneba Lutheran shipping wharf, Finschafen on hired transport costing about $12 per bag.  The bags are again freighted using ship to markets in Lae city at the cost of $2 per bag. The parchment bags are either sold as parchment or processed into green beans before sales. The parchment beans are processed at the cost of $0.03 per kilogram of parchment. Finally the green beans are bagged into 60 kilogram juke coffee bags and sold for $10 per kilogram.