Buying coffee from Papua New Guinea: smallholder highland arabica and the new grades

PNG coffee in numbers

According to the CIC, exports fell to record lows in 2020, have risen since 2021, and passed one million bags in 2024. Sucafina puts average production at about 711,000 60 kg bags. Smallholders grow at least 85% of the crop, most of it arabica above 1,500 metres. Coffee earned about US$156 million in exports in 2021, around 13% of agricultural export revenue.

Regions and harvest

Coffee grows in the Western Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Jiwaka, Simbu and Morobe. Common varieties are Typica (including Blue Mountain), Arusha and Bourbon. The main crop runs from about April or May to September, with a smaller fly crop early in the year. See the PNG lots page.

Processing

Smallholders usually pulp cherry by hand or with small drum pulpers, ferment it for about 36 hours, wash it and dry the parchment to about 10.5% moisture on raised beds, tarps or mechanical dryers. Yields are low and coffee berry borer is a growing problem. Read processing methods.

Grades and the CIC

• In 2021 the CIC cut arabica grades from 13 to five. Old grades such as AA, A, AB, PB, X and E became A; PSC (plantation smallholder coffee) became B; and the Y grades stayed for lower qualities. A number can be added to show screen size.
• The change lets smallholder coffee reach the top grade, which before was only open to plantation coffee. A new R1 grade covers specialty robusta.
• The CIC's export and quality control office at the port of Lae checks green coffee before export. A new National Coffee Policy was approved in December 2024.

Buying tips

• Ask for the grade, province, process and moisture, and approve a pre-shipment sample. See our grading guide.
• PNG coffee ships in 60 kg bags, mostly from Lae. Allow for long sea routes. See shipping green coffee.
• For the EU, ask how the exporter traces smallholder gardens; see the EUDR guide.