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A GOROKA-based fruit company, New Guinea Fruit Company has made significant progress in experimenting with wild fruits to make local wines, juices and jam.
The company also uses locally grown bananas, oranges, pawpaw, ginger, pineapples, strawberries to derive at these products.
After six years of operation, the locally brewed wine, fruit juices, jam and honey of different varieties had proven very successful and also being exported overseas as well as supplied to local markets in PNG.
New Guinea Fruit Company is the brainchild of a long-time Goroka resident and naturalized citizen, James Watson, who lives at Arikayufa in the Unggai area of Eastern Highlands. Mr Watson is married to a local woman and is one of the pioneers to own and farm citrus in PNG. Oranges harvested from his farm are being distributed throughout the country and to overseas markets.
With the idea of making locally grown fruits and wild fruits he researched and experimented and finally brewed wins which is now known as “Live Lave” or Goroka beer.
The company produces five different types of wine using pure local fruits with no mixture of any chemical. They are Elder Berry Purple, Strawberry, Ginger, Banana and Wild Fruit. These wines are flavored with tree flowers, strawberries, wild fruit called tamarinos, ginger, pawpaw and pineapples.
In fact, these wines have already become favorites to many who have had a taste. They can be found on the shelves at liquor outlets, lodges, restaurants and bars around the country.
Besides fruit wines, New Guinea Fruit Company has also been very successful with the making of different flavoured jam products. The products range from Strawberry Jam, Pineapple and Pawpaw Jam, Wild Fruit Jam, Passion Fruit, Banana and Ginger Jam Highlands Marmalade and the Passion Fruit and Banana Jam. These products are sold in the country as well as exported to England, New Zealand and Australia.
Another success story of the of the New Guinea Fruit Company is Highlands Honey. This product has received accolades internationally as the best. The honey is taken from bee-hives taken from locally farmed bees.
The lates products which is now out in the local market and being sought after is Apo Juice. The product just recently entered the market.
The juice come in three different brands which are all extracted from locally grown wild fruits. The three flavors are Wild Tamarillos, Oranges and Pineapples flavoured with water and wild lime.
Notably, not all these fruits are grown at Mr Watson’s farm. The company buys them from local farmers in Eastern Highlands, Chimbu and Western Highlands and the local Goroka market.
New Guinea Fruit Company employs 70 local people who work at its three sheds at the main Goroka market, Six Mile and Kama. The company has already opened up branches in Lae and Madang to boost sales and provide distribution of the products.
The company’s Sales Manageress, Mary Lingen explained that big supermarkets such as Anderson Foodland and Papindo buy their products in bulk and distribute them nationwide
Ms Lingen said a lof of local fruit farmers have it very convenient to sell their produce at the company’s factory and walk away with cold hard cash rather than waiting at the markets which is time consuming.
She added that in the last six years of operation the company had not only made good money but extended its assistance to local farmers in purchasing their produce.
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The company also uses locally grown bananas, oranges, pawpaw, ginger, pineapples, strawberries to derive at these products.
After six years of operation, the locally brewed wine, fruit juices, jam and honey of different varieties had proven very successful and also being exported overseas as well as supplied to local markets in PNG.
New Guinea Fruit Company is the brainchild of a long-time Goroka resident and naturalized citizen, James Watson, who lives at Arikayufa in the Unggai area of Eastern Highlands. Mr Watson is married to a local woman and is one of the pioneers to own and farm citrus in PNG. Oranges harvested from his farm are being distributed throughout the country and to overseas markets.
With the idea of making locally grown fruits and wild fruits he researched and experimented and finally brewed wins which is now known as “Live Lave” or Goroka beer.
The company produces five different types of wine using pure local fruits with no mixture of any chemical. They are Elder Berry Purple, Strawberry, Ginger, Banana and Wild Fruit. These wines are flavored with tree flowers, strawberries, wild fruit called tamarinos, ginger, pawpaw and pineapples.
In fact, these wines have already become favorites to many who have had a taste. They can be found on the shelves at liquor outlets, lodges, restaurants and bars around the country.
Besides fruit wines, New Guinea Fruit Company has also been very successful with the making of different flavoured jam products. The products range from Strawberry Jam, Pineapple and Pawpaw Jam, Wild Fruit Jam, Passion Fruit, Banana and Ginger Jam Highlands Marmalade and the Passion Fruit and Banana Jam. These products are sold in the country as well as exported to England, New Zealand and Australia.
Another success story of the of the New Guinea Fruit Company is Highlands Honey. This product has received accolades internationally as the best. The honey is taken from bee-hives taken from locally farmed bees.
The lates products which is now out in the local market and being sought after is Apo Juice. The product just recently entered the market.
The juice come in three different brands which are all extracted from locally grown wild fruits. The three flavors are Wild Tamarillos, Oranges and Pineapples flavoured with water and wild lime.
Notably, not all these fruits are grown at Mr Watson’s farm. The company buys them from local farmers in Eastern Highlands, Chimbu and Western Highlands and the local Goroka market.
New Guinea Fruit Company employs 70 local people who work at its three sheds at the main Goroka market, Six Mile and Kama. The company has already opened up branches in Lae and Madang to boost sales and provide distribution of the products.
The company’s Sales Manageress, Mary Lingen explained that big supermarkets such as Anderson Foodland and Papindo buy their products in bulk and distribute them nationwide
Ms Lingen said a lof of local fruit farmers have it very convenient to sell their produce at the company’s factory and walk away with cold hard cash rather than waiting at the markets which is time consuming.
She added that in the last six years of operation the company had not only made good money but extended its assistance to local farmers in purchasing their produce.
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