Bogia signs agreement with cocoa board to revive industry

THE cocoa industry will be revived in Bogia, Madang, following the signing of an agreement between the PNG Cocoa Board and the Bogia Development Authority.
Cocoa had been thriving in Bogia until the cocoa pod borer decimated the industry causing people to lose interest.
The agreement was signed by the board extension manager Anton Varvaliu and Bogia administrator Jacob Asevi witnessed by Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Simon, Bogia MP Robert Naguri, Department of Agriculture and Livestock acting secretary Steven Mombi, PNG Cocoa Board chief executive officer Boto Gaupu and officials of the Madang administration.
Simon gave K120,000 to the district administration to start a cocoa freight subsidy scheme.
Gaupu said Bogia used to be one of the leading cocoa producer.
He thanked Naguri for reviving the cocoa industry in Bogia.
“This place was predominantly cocoa and when the CPB hit, the industry was devastated,” he said.
“A lot of resources were poured in to contain the CPB.
“However, like other cocoa-producing areas, production has gone down as people had lost interest.”
Bogia used to produce almost 3,000 tonnes of cocoa, generating K10 million out of the K20 million produced in Madang.