The government in Papua New Guinea announced a new ministry specifically to promote coffee.
PM James Marape appointed Joe Kuli as the first minister for coffee.
The leader of PNG also appointed Francis Maneke as the minister for oil palm.
Coffee is one of the primary sources of livelihood for PNG as 2.5 million people depend on the specific commodity.
There is a massive demand for the fine flavour of arabica coffee produced by PNG in the EU, USA, and Japan.
The coffee industry in the country is facing issues like inconsistent quality, falling yields, and disease issues. So the new portfolio was created to overcome these issues and promote the commodity.
According to PNG’s Department of Agriculture and Livestock, coffee accounts for 27% of total agricultural export and 6% of GDP.
PNG is not the first country to create such offbeat portfolios; there are a few other countries like UAE, UK, and Japan, among other countries.
In 2014, Japan appointed Haruko Arimura as Minister of Toilets. The UK also created a new portfolio and appointed Tracey Crouch as the Minster of Loneliness in 2018.
In 2016, UAE floated the idea of having a Ministry of Happiness and appointed Ohood Al Roumi as its minister.
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