Transcript
DAVID TENAKANAI: The new Ministers for Agriculture and Livestock and Planning have actually asked the government for the twenty million (Kina) that was promised to the industry and we are still waiting. But as we wait, we cannot just wait and do nothing. We have checkpoints in place, we have awareness programmes in place and we also have support through a programme called PHAMAP the Pacific Horticulture, Agriculture Market Access Programme funded by the Australian government. So they actually are assisting us to do a limiting survey. The limiting survey is actually to detect the spread of the pest.
JENNY MEYER: Do you believe that the pest is continuing to spread into other areas despite everything?
DT: Yes, in April, May and April we found that there were in only 88 hectares of coffee garden, at this stage it has gone up to over a hundred hectares of garden. It's increasing in the infected provinces of Jiwaka and Eastern Islands Province. So it's actually spreading.
JM: So you would think it would be more of a priority?
DT: Yeah it should have been more of a priority for the government for the fact that it generates foreign currency. Also it supports about 2 to 3 million people up in the highlands of Papua New Guinea that depend on coffee. So I think by next year, the next coffee season we should know exactly the effect of coffee berry borer on exports.
JM: Do you think it's a threat to the whole industry?
DT: Coffee berry borer will effect the whole industry. If it's not attended, scientific evidence actually tells us that over 80 to 90 percent of coffee will be damaged.
JM: And how do you get rid of the beetle?
DT: All the coffee parchment and green coffee, they are fumigated up in the highlands. They are fumigated before they go to the checkpoint and it comes down for export. But that is actually the containment part of it but we need to do the field management of it. We had the over management strategy to counter the pest but it needs to be funded. It's a whole integrated package that we need to apply.
JM: It sounds like it's quite serious, so you're hoping to find out about the funding, what, in the next month or so? Or as soon as possible? When do you think you will know?
DT: Actually the government plan, when the new government they came into government they actually said they are going to solve this problem in the first 100 days. So we also are thinking that after the hundred days then coffee has the 20 million, or if not exactly the 20 million, any amount of money given by the government would be very helpful.
