Cocoa pod borer reason for 90pc crop loss: Board

EXPERIENCES over the past 13 years have indicated that the cocoa pod borer (CPB) is responsible for inflicting crop losses of 80 to 90 per cent, according to the PNG Cocoa Board.
Business development manager Dr Smauel Laup told The National that since the pest invaded the country in 2006, the livelihood status of the cocoa farmers had been dramatically and negatively impacted.
“CPB can potentially have as many as 10-11 generation or years under suitable breeding conditions of cocoa farms which have low or nil management or interventions,” he said.
“Small pockets of population in the field can quickly build up to damaging levels to devastate large areas of the crop.” About 80 per cent of cocoa was produced by smallholders, with over 151,000 households depending on it for their livelihood and contributed over K200 million annually to the government’s agricultural export revenue.
Laup said when the cocoa pod borer arrived, three management strategies were recommended for control and management of the pest and these included eradication, management approach and research.
“The eradication approach was not suitable and so was not successful,” he said.
“While waiting for research results, the industry took the initiative to implement all known strategies that was possible to reduce the cocoa pod borer problem.”
Laup said the initial approach to cocoa pod borer management was taken by the Cocoa, Coconut Institute Ltd.
He said the PNG Cocoa Board at the time was required to provide the corresponding policy coverage and took a major initiative to formulate projects on cocoa bud-wood gardening, nursery and fermentry certifications.
He said the World Bank-funded project known as Productive Partnership in Agriculture Projects was established at that time which complemented the existing strategies.
“It focused on the behaviour of the insect pest and how these behavioural characteristics could be manipulated and used as control or management strategies for CPB.”
Laup said they also used the sterile insect released technique, an environmentally friendly insect pest control method.
He said the project output would enhance cocoa production in the country and increase more interest for cocoa farming by smallholders in PNG.
“It will reduce cost of plant protection farming practices, reduce the use of chemicals and overall reduce contaminants in the environment,” he said. “All research results will be disseminated through project reports, technical publications and focused meetings.”