Description

The Konkua Okipa Coffee Cooperative was founded in 2013 and has 137 smallholder producer members, who together represent just 313 hectares of coffee farmland—that goes to show how small the average farm is here. The organization’s mission is to support producers with organic growing practices through certification, improve coffee quality, and diversify crops in order to raise the standard of living within the members’ communities. The producer members represent a few different towns across two districts. This region is still a major coffee trading spot for the surrounding areas and communities, as there is an airstrip that can be used to transport coffee to Goroka for milling.

Producer members of the Konkua Okipa Coffee Collective harvest their coffee ripe, and it is depulped the same day. It is put through a dry fermentation for two days (36–48 hours) before being washed once and then soaked under water. After washing, the coffee is spread on raised beds or on tarpaulins, where it will take 6–10 days to dry, depending on the weather.

For more information about coffee production in Papua New Guinea, visit our Papua New Guinea page.