DILI, 13 november 2022 (TATOLI) – PARC Interpeoples’ Cooperation (PARCIC) in partnership with Coffee Producers’ Cooperative in Maubisse (COCAMAU) have rehabilitated 300 hectares of coffee trees, in the administrative post of Maubisse, Ainaro municipality.
PARCIC’s Country Director, Junko ITO said that the aim of the collaboration between PARCIC and COCOMAU is to support coffee growers with the rehabilitation of their old coffee trees.
“We will continue our cooperation with COCOMAU to support farmers with the rehabilitation program,” Junko told TATOLI.
She explained that up to 300 hectares of coffee trees will be rehabilitated: “We are guiding them to stump the old coffee trees that are no longer productive.”
She said so far more than 200 hectares of coffee trees have been rehabilitated, with another 100 hectares expected to be rehabilitated in the future.
“The rehabilitation will help increase coffee yields, which will help raise the incomes of local coffee farmers,” she said.
Junko said that apart from the rehabilitation program, PARCIC also supports the farmer with proper coffee processing practices in order to produce good quality coffee: “We buy that good quality coffee and send it to Japan.”
In addition, PARCIC also helped COCOMAU members with the installation of a clean water supply, and a coffee bean warehouse in Maubisse.
In 2021, PARCIC bought 100 tons of organic coffee from CACOMAU for US$500,000.
COCOMAU has a total of 740 members, all of whom are coffee farmers in six villages across Maubisse.
The five-year rehabilitation program was funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The project was started in 2019 and will be completed in 2024.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Filomeno Martins
