Banz Kofi Fektori Ltd

Fresh from the Highlands
In the heart of Papua New Guinea’s Western Highlands, an entrepreneurial expatriate Australian is nurturing a unique coffee business. Based in the provincial capital of Mt Hangan, Patrick Killoran’s Banz Kofi produces a signature blend of freshly-roasted Arabica coffee.
According to Patrick, the Western Highlands’ high altitudes and relatively cool climate, are ideal for cultivating the internationally-prized Arabica beans.
“We wanted to prove top-quality coffee can be produced in Papua New Guinea. We’ve focused on perfecting our signature blend and after 20 years we think we’ve come pretty close,” Patrick says.
Patrick says the coffee has a buttery aroma with hints of chocolate and tropical spices, and an even sweeter taste.
The company selects top-quality beans from villagers throughout the province, who cultivate crops according to traditional methods, free from chemicals or sprays.
Villagers have cultivated Arabica coffee plants since the early 1950s and now produce more than 25,000 tonnes of raw beans for export each year, providing them with an important income source.
Originally from Queensland, Patrick Killoran first travelled to Papua New Guinea in 1976 to help out a friend who’d begun cultivating coffee in the rich, fertile soils of the Waghi Valley. He enjoyed the work so much, he decided to stay, starting his own business – Banz Kofi – in the early 1990s.
The business grew from there and they are now roasting coffee to order for customers nationwide and exporting to New Zealand, Australia, the US and Canada.
Patrick lives and breathes coffee and is on a perpetual quest to enhance his business and product.
He has invested in a brand new factory, where coffee is processed and packaged and also plans to develop a restaurant showcasing locally-sourced ingredients, including Banz coffee, and offering tours to learn how coffee is grown and processed.
 “We take a lot of pride in producing our coffee and are passionate about growing the local industry. The focus is always on maintaining quality and showing we can make unique premium products here, which in turn, support the many people who help to create them,” he says.