A successful coffee farmer in Haukasia village in Solomon Islands, has urged fellow South Malaitans to grow coffee as an alternative means to earn income.
Francis Kahui says coffee has massive cash potential for the rural income earner and small scale farmers.
Mr Kahui told the Solomon Star from what he has experienced coffee is more economically viable and easy to manage than other cash commodities such as copra, cocoa, chilli and vanilla.
He says with the mountainous formation of the island and higher altitude, coffee plant is much more suitable and has no problem in production.
Mr Kahui first planted coffee trees on South Malaita in 1990 on a trial basis.
He planted 77 coffee plants which when harvested can filled four 20 kilo bags.
Mr Kahui says he harvests two times a month for 10 months straight and current coffee prices range between 20 and 25 kina per kilo.
Mr Kahui currently has 4300 plants covering half a hectare of land.
