Papua New Guinea: Eastern Highlands Peaberry Plus
Volcafe PNG is the only exporter to own a wet mill in PNG. Since its purchase in 1995, the Lahamenegu wet mill in the Eastern Highlands has been refreshed with brand-new machinery to take PNG cherries to the next level in quality control. While most smallholders wash and process coffee themselves and bring parchment to market, Volcafe PNG has the capability to buy in cherry and control processing consistency. The mill’s supply chain services smallholder farms within a 30-kilometer radius and receives freshly harvested cherries daily. In addition to adapting local producers’ mindsets to approach coffee farming as a commercial business, Volcafe PNG has also invested particular focus in building traceability programs and farmer profiles for the PNG green coffee it sources. Specialty PNG coffee is well-balanced with mellow flavors, moderate acidity, and a full-bodied, buttery quality. The Eastern Highlands is fertile with loamy volcanic soil, and the coffee that comes through the Lahameneg