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CIC, Defence Force move to ship coffee |
Military aircrafts to haul stranded produce to markets |
PAPUA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Jun. 7 -/E-Wire/--
The Coffee Industry Corporation would coordinate the use of Defence Force aircrafts to move coffee out of the remote areas.
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Agriculture Minister Mathew Siune said only through proper coordination would best serve the interest of the rural farmers who have no access to markets due to isolation and transportation difficulties.
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Mobilising Defence aircrafts will help rural farmers bring their produce straight to the market for better prices without the help of usual middlemen.
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"Commercial buyers can use their normal trading practices to buy coffee from rural areas, but will not be accommodated in the special operation," Mr Siune said.
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He urged farmers groups in remote and marginal areas to organise themselves to make full use of the hauling exercise.
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Likewise, the minister called on coffee growers to form marketing cooperatives so they could sell their produce more effectively and get better returns.
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Mr Siune reiterated that middlemen in the coffee industry chain have been controlling and dictating the price for far too long.
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Therefore, the Grower Owned Marketing concept is major strategy policy shift to best serve the farmers, he said.
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"The Grower-Owned Marketing concept compliments the National Government's Export Driven and Green Revolution Policy strategy.
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"I am fully supportive of the concept ... people must be led to attain economic independence and coffee plays a vital role in deriving income to facilitate betterment in the lifestyle of individual family," he said.
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Mr Siune said he supports the moves by PNG Coffee Growers Federation to mobilise small coffee growers to form co-operatives to export coffee directly overseas.
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