Locally owned coffee exporter Kosem Limited is set to increase its exports of high-quality coffee to international specialty markets.

This follows a partnership signed on 25 February 2021 with the Australia and New Zealand funded Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus program (PHAMA Plus).

The partnership aims to strengthen the company’s linkages with key international buyers and markets and create a more economic and efficient way of sourcing high-quality green bean coffee – a win for Kosem Ltd and its supply network of smallholder farmers and growers in Jiwaka Province and other rural parts of PNG.

PHAMA Plus will provide technical support to Kosem Ltd to conduct product trials to better understand and improve its product positioning in specialty markets. Green coffee beans will be sent to experienced international coffee buyers who will provide feedback on improving coffee quality along the value chain.

“We’re all about thinking locally and acting globally, so this partnership is the step in the right direction for us to increase the global competitiveness of our PNG-sourced coffee and open new markets for our high-value green bean coffee,” Kosem Ltd’s Managing Director John Munnull said.

“This collaboration also helps create a consistent and quality supply base from our long-standing partnerships with growers and farmer groups in rural communities in Jiwaka province and other parts of PNG.”

The partnership also aims to improve capacity of the company’s three Group Marketing Centres (GMCs) for the supply of high-quality coffee parchment that meets the standards of coffee importers. Other aspects of the partnership include providing sales and marketing training support, including Family Farm Team (FFT). The FFT training encourages teamwork among coffee farmer family units by offering equal opportunities for women and men to work together as a team in the cultivation of coffee, harvesting of coffee and trading of coffee.

PHAMA Plus Country Manager Sidney Suma said the partnership builds on the program’s strong relationship from previous collaborations with Kosem Ltd.

“PNG is well positioned to benefit from new higher-value opportunities in specialty coffee, differentiated by quality and environmental factors. It is the fastest growing category of global production and fetches a better price for rural farming households,” Mr Suma said.

“We’re pleased to continue working with exporters like Kosem and other key supply chain stakeholders to provide information required to achieve good agricultural practices and product quality, and to develop incentives for farmers to improve production of quality specialty coffee.”

PHAMA Plus also signed a memorandum of understanding on 2 February 2021 with the PNG Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), which is aligned to the program’s goal of increasing the volume of good-quality PNG coffee exports to high-value specialty and differentiated markets.

*For more information, please contact PHAMA Plus Country Manager (PNG) Sidney Suma on s.suma@phamaplus.com.au