According to estimates from a survey, coffee production in the country has been decreasing for the past ten years.
“From 1998 to 2018, the coffee harvest area and quantity of coffee produced in PNG decreased by 33 per cent and 28 per cent respectively,” a National Research Institute (NRI) report stated.
The downturn was triggered by the problems that coffee growers face, such as a shortage of processing facilities, insufficient extension resources, and restricted access to finance.
The problems could be resolved by the strategies suggested by NRI deputy director for research Prof Euegene Ezebilo and Prof Carolyn Afolami of the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, based on the fact that “PNG has ideal environmental and climatic conditions for growing high-quality coffee.”
They concluded in their paper, Strategies for improving coffee production and processing in PNG: Lessons from the top five coffee-producing countries, that the government's "political will" was critical in moving the coffee industry forward.
“And this can be done by promoting effective extension services and training coffee growers on modern systems and innovations in producing coffee; provide funds for research and farm management practices; and, support farmers through loans facility at low-interest rates,” NRI said in a statement. “Policymakers, planners and agricultural managers are urged to take heed of the findings to make informed decisions on boosting the yield and quality of this commodity.”
