The Coffee Industry Corporation Ltd (CICL) and the West New Britain (WNB) Provincial Government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand coffee development work in the province. The signing ceremony took place on Saturday November 15, 2025 at the New Channel Inn Hotel in Goroka, marking a significant milestone in the partnership between the two entities.
WNB Provincial Administrator Leo Mapmani, Deputy PA-Economic Services, Leo Brown, along with CICL CEO Charles Dambui, signed the MOU. This partnership aims to revive coffee development in WNB, which currently has three active cooperatives consisting of over 700 members across five coffee-growing Local Level Governments (LLGs): Kandrian Inland, Gloucester, Kandrian Coastal, Kaliai/Kove, and East and Central Nakanai.
Provincial Administrator Leo Mapmani said they were grateful for the partnership with CICL to kick start coffee work in WNB.
Mapmani said the signing of this MOU goes to show his province was serious in coffee development. “There is keen interest in the province. People in the rural areas have gone into coffee planting in small quantities, but the challenge is access to markets.”
He said rural development officers have variety of roles and responsibilities and coffee was not given prominence. More effort was put into cocoa, copra and oil palm. “Now that we are going into this MOU and with the office establishment, this will strengthen this partnership and we can share knowledge and ideas to collaborate and progress further.”
He added that the presence of CIC extension officers now stationed in the province would boost interest and help WNB coffee farmers go into full production and overcome market challenges.
CICL CEO Charles Dambui commended the WNB Provincial Government for taking a bold step to sign this agreement with CICL. “Apart from other initiatives, our freight program and nurseries will commence immediately under this arrangement. It is encouraging to see Maritime Provinces like West New Britain coming on board, and coffee will be an added incentive to empowering coffee communities in the province.”
The partnership will focus on several key areas, including extension services where CICL will provide technical support and training to coffee farmers in the province, freight program to help reduce transportation costs and the establishment of coffee nurseries to provide high-quality coffee seedlings to farmers, improving productivity and quality.
This partnership is expected to contribute significantly to the growth and development of the coffee industry in West New Britain, providing new opportunities for coffee farmers and empowering local communities.
The implementation of coffee development programs in WNBP will be from 2026 to 2028.
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