Business
PNG's 'Money Tree' Making A Big Comeback
Could regain position as #1 foreign revenue earner
Papua New Guinea's coffee industry's trade fair in the Eastern Highlands province, is becoming a popular event.
The event, which started out as a coffee show in 2002 with only 11 stalls and a handful of people taking part, has this year grown to 77 stalls and about 10,000 participants and visitors. It was held on May 5 to May 7.
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Young local entrepreneur, Norman Carver is the driving force behind the show which he said is aimed at rekindling business interest in the coffee industry.
He is overwhelmed by the success of the trade fair and promised that it will be bigger and better next year. He reaffirmed that it will be held about the same time each year which now makes it easier for Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority and other tourism promoters to market it nationwide and internationally.
Business executives travelled from Port Moresby, Lae, Wau and Mount Hagen to attend and participate in the fair.
Deputy Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea Nicholas Coppel, who also attended the show, told show-goers that he was impressed with the changes taking place and "there was dynamism and energy in the community."
While the local business community and population turned out in great numbers, visitors presence and their displays were quite noticeable.
Managing Director of Bank South Pacific Noel Smith and his Regional Manager (Highlands) Peter Toran manned their stall in person, giving an indication of the extensive involvement of the bank in financing the coffee industry.
ANZ's marketing officer, Euralia Paine also flew in from Port Moresby to help local bank staff in giving out pamphlets and talk to clients about their banking services and products. Westpac also set up a stall.
The Tourism Promotion Authority capitalised on the tourism aspect of the show and talked to a lot of expatriates and visitors about the country's varied and pristine destinations.
Missionary Aviation Fellowship's (MAF) Goroka-based pilot Richard West, who's been flying in the Western province's Balimo area for over a year and now transferred to Goroka, gave some insights into the enormous contribution made by third level airlines to the coffee industry.
He said the airline moves about 800 tonnes of coffee annually out of areas inaccessible by roads and returns with goods and school and medical supplies.
Hundreds of school children also packed the show to learn about the coffee industry and its significance to the local and national economy.
Stallholders at the fair made short presentations to the students about their companies and organisations.
Some of the schools around Goroka gave their children time-off classes to attend the show. High school students also used the opportunity to learn more about coffee as part of their agriculture lesson while some interviewed coffee companies for information to complete their school assignments.
Chief executive officer of Coffee Industry Corporation, Ricky Mitio told students, teachers and people that coffee has a "very special" place in the life and culture of the people of Eastern Highlands and the whole Highlands region.
"It was coffee that brought development, coffee paid school fees for many of our leaders today, your school fees were paid by coffee and you must treat the coffee trees with respect," Mitio said.
He said the life and culture of the Highlands people is centered around the coffee tree. "Bride price, compensation and many other village ceremonies are done during the coffee season," he said.
Coffee is the primary focus of the show and its socio-economic impact in the province and the entire Highlands region and the country is quite extensive.
Dubbed the "money tree', coffee first entered Goroka in 1938 by the Lutheran Church in Asaroka and today there are 300,000 families nationwide growing it in small blocks accounting for 86 percent of total production (1.05 million bags) while 14 percent is by the plantation sector.
The coffee industry and its associated industries like trucking, shipping and other suppliers employ up to 40,000 people and accounts for 10 percent of the national GDP.
Prior to the mining and oil boom, coffee contributed 43 percent of total exports and by 2014 when oil and mineral exports cease, coffee is expected to regain its position as a strong primary foreign exchange earner for the country.
