According to the Goroka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), business is sluggish in Goroka, Eastern Highlands, but there is hope that the situation will change when the coffee industry picks up.
In a market update, GCCI president Chris Anders said that coffee has always had a significant influence on the local economy.
“Business has been slow the last few weeks, the main coffee crop in the Eastern Highlands should start to come through in the next few weeks,” he said.“This will put some cash into the economy and business should pick up.”
According to the Coffee Industry Corporation, the province is second only to the Western Highlands in terms of coffee production.
The province's largest cash crop is coffee.
Coffee remains PNG's second-biggest agricultural export earner, contributing K2.4 billion in export revenue between 2014 and 2018 and processing around 259,000 tonnes of coffee beans, according to figures from the Agriculture and Livestock Department.
Meanwhile, Anders claimed that the majority of companies complied with the Covid-19 pandemic controls.
“But the people are not social distancing and not all are wearing masks which is a concern,” he said. “The main market is still a concern as this is where a large number of people gather.” Goroka market is currently at Peace Park.
