Agencies-Gaza post
First coffee minister appointed in world
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marabe, created in his government the first ministry dealing with the most famous drink in the world.
Joe Cooley was appointed Minister of Coffee, from the Anglemb South Wage neighborhood in the Central Highlands.
Prime Minister James Marape, who was re-elected earlier this month, said the new position demonstrated the government’s commitment to expanding essential agricultural industries.
“The new appointments focus very prominently on agriculture, with the aim of achieving agricultural growth in the country,” he added while announcing the new cabinet line-up, consisting of 33 ministers.
“Agriculture is the area where the government can have the greatest impact on the people of this country, because the majority of our people are subsistence farmers,” Marabe explained. We have the necessary land, and we must encourage our people to agricultural production.”
Papua New Guinea coffee has emerged as a sought-after import product in recent years. Cafes in Australia, the United States, and Japan began serving coffee made from beans grown in Papua New Guinea.
Marabe said the coffee industry must be revived so that it can generate more export revenue. Cole makes it clear that he understands the challenge, because he hails from the Wage Valley in Jiuaca County, which was once a huge coffee plantation but is now overgrown with shrubs.
The government also created another new ministry, the Ministry of Palm Oil. According to a report by the British newspaper “The Guardian”.
What is the goal?
The main objective of establishing this ministry is to raise the annual profit rate from the export of Papua New Guinea coffee, by increasing the number of countries that could be potential markets.
Coffee in Papua New Guinea is the second largest agricultural crop in the country, after palm oil. Coffee represents 27% of Papua New Guinea’s total exports of crops, and 6% of the country’s total exports.
