Prime Minister Hon. James Marape on Tuesday (3 March 2026) reaffirmed his government’s commitment to strengthening downstream processing and value addition in Papua New Guinea’s agriculture sector during a visit to the Las Malo Coffee Factory in Goroka, Eastern Highlands
Province. Las Malo is supported by the PNG Government through the PNG Agriculture Commercialisation and Diversification (PACD) Project with World Bank support.
Speaking during the visit, Prime Minister Marape said facilities such as Las Malo Coffee, which exported 2 per cent of PNG’s total exports in 2025, demonstrate the direction Papua New Guinea must take — moving beyond the export of raw commodities and towards greater local processing, branding and market positioning.
“Our farmers work hard to produce some of the finest coffee in the world,” Prime Minister Marape said. “What we must now ensure is that more of the value is retained here at home — through local processing, packaging, quality control and direct market engagement.”
The Prime Minister commended the management and staff of the Las Malo Coffee Factory for their contribution to job creation, farmer engagement and the strengthening of Eastern Highlands as a leading coffee-producing province.
He noted that agriculture remains central to the Government’s economic transformation agenda, particularly under the National Agriculture Sector Plan 2024–2033, which aims to lift productivity, formalise smallholder participation and expand export earnings.
“Coffee is not just a crop; it is a livelihood for hundreds of thousands of our people,” he said. “If we get agriculture right, we empower our rural population, stabilise incomes, and build a more resilient national economy.”
Prime Minister Marape reiterated that his government will continue to work closely with the Coffee Industry Corporation, provincial governments, development partners and the private sector to ensure that policies translate into tangible results for farmers on the ground.
He encouraged young Papua New Guineans to view agriculture not as subsistence activity, but as a modern, commercially viable enterprise with opportunities in agribusiness, logistics, quality assurance, export marketing and manufacturing.
“Facilities like this show that agriculture can be innovative, organised and competitive,” he said. “Eastern Highlands has long been at the heart of our coffee story. With greater coordination and investment, it can become a model for the nation.”
The Prime Minister concluded by calling for stronger partnerships between farmers, processors, exporters and government agencies to ensure Papua New Guinea’s premium coffee continues to strengthen its presence in global markets while delivering greater returns to local communities.