TOTAL eradication of the cocoa pod borer (CPB) in East New Britain province is not possible, acting chief executive for CCIPNG Hosea Turbarat said.
He said the province was projected to completely lose its cocoa industry by 2015 if stringent control and management measures are not put in place.
Control measures must be undertaken immediately by all cocoa farmers in the province to slow down any further infestations and extension of CPB in the designated boundaries, he said.
Following the outbreaks in 2006, exclusive zones were established, quarantine check points set up and pod removals started in and around the affected areas.
However, these efforts had to be reduced and eventually stopped when repeated requests for fundings from responsible authorities were unsuccessful.
He said the call came amidst the re-emergence of the CPB in the former exclusive zones, with infestations confirmed in the recent months at Tokiala plantation and smallholder blocks, Vudal Tais/Iapalik, Vudal University cocoa blocks, Vudal beach, Sang plantation and Tavilo plantations in the province.
Further presence of the CPB had been confirmed at Ramandu plantation in the Baining area.
Mr Turbarat said the re-emergence of the CPB was earlier reported in the Kerevat area in which the outbreaks appeared to be associated with lack of compliance with the eradication procedures and quarantine requirements.
He said that relevant agencies and the general public must be advised that eradication was highly improbable in the province and that it was extremely important that more control and management mode was upheld immediately, other wise the industry in the province will be lost by 2015. In the meantime, more than half of the province’s export earnings would be reduced affecting more than 50% of the population if strategic controls are not put into place as soon as possible.
Recommended control measures include:
l Regular pruning of cocoa trees;
l Controlling overhead shade;
l Regular harvesting of cocoa pods; and
l If any infested pods are found, four rows on each side of the infested row be fogged every four days for two weeks.
He said careful implementation of these control measures had reduced the number of infestation on Tokiala and Sang plantations to non-detectable levels.
Mr Turbarat said the management of these two plantations had implemented such control measures and had also extended the control information to neighboring smallholders.
“To do less could mean the loss of the industry upon which some 40,000 PNG families rely for their livelihoods; that is an industry with export earnings ranging between K250 million and K300 million annually,” he said.