The Success of Mitega

History

ALONG what is the main Highlands Highway in Papua New Guinea exists a group of hard-working farmers who have formed a primary co-operative itself Mitega Coffe Growers Co-operative. The cooperative notably is making quite an impact in achieving tangible results and somewhat causing a positive stir amongst the community
The group was formed in 1999 through the inspiration of a former coffee plantation manager Jack Gasowo and his hard-working wife Tera, who wanted to assist their fellow villagers improve their lifestyle in the community.
The Mitega co-operative is in line with the principal which arose from the desire of the co-operative members, who were mainly farmers, facing low product prices for their produce and high input costs that increase costs of productions. Also they wanted to see improvement in their incomes.

Socio-economic development

Mitega is also involving youths through its activities basically to keep them occupied and also instill in the spirit of being a productive citizen. And one notable achievement was encouraging every youths in the area to plant 1000 coffee trees.

“We want our youths to have at least 1000 or more coffee trees. This would be their fall-back position when there is no jobs or school does not accommodate them in future,” says the chairman of Mitega primary co-operative, Jack Gasowo. The members through the co-operative arrangement share in both the costs and losses of running of the co-operative, while providing services to its members.
Since its establishment the Mitega primary co-operative headed by the chairman Mr Gasowo has inspired and paved way to mobilization of over 120 local farmers within their area to seriously go into coffee development. They indeed make an enormous impact.

Coffee Processing

Another notable achievement was when the Coffee Industry Corporation Ltd presented Mitega processing license in 2001 to warrant coffee processing operation in the factory

In fact, the idea to forming a cooperative began in 1999 when the Gasowos constructed a 100,000-seedling capacity coffee nursery, and after seedlings were ready began distributing them to other villagers. The coffee seedlings are those recommended by the Coffee Research Institute (CRI) which had already proven to be of high yielding.
The couple even went to the extremes by using their own resources such as monies and materials to encouraging their fellow villagers get into coffee. He even realized that the ideal solution would be for every farmer in their community to be prosperous enough to afford good coffee husbandry practices and a good wet-factory to get the best out of his crop. That was why the couple decided to take the lead role, with his wife at the helm.

“Very importantly I want to see people in my community enjoy a better standard of living with funds earned from their coffee,” Mr Gasowo said.

The processing plant is in a form of centralized co-operative working net-wok the couple have set up mainly to assist farmers in their locality processed their small holder coffee, and most importantly maintain good quality.

Owning and operating wet-factory and coffee processing facilities was previously thought to be roles performed by only expatriates. Certainly these days are over.

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