ENB to revitalise cocoa

 COCOA production in East New Britain continues to drop proving that measures put in place since the cocoa pod borer hit in 2006 have failed.

The PNG Cocoa Board said it was now focusing its attention on mobilising farmers through co-operatives using funds from the World Bank to build capacity.

Last week a memorandum of understanding was signed between 12 co-operative societies, 10 local level government wards, the cocoa board and the ENB provincial government.

The aim is to revitalise the cocoa industry, fulfilling the government objective to work with LLGs, farmer groups and the cocoa board.

Acting chief executive officer Barnabas Toreu said since the incursion of the cocoa pest, the national government through the provincial improvement programme allocated funds for the CPB programme. 

A total of K1.1 million out of K5 million was given to ENB and the cocoa quality and promotion project.

“Despite all these, production is still going down therefore the new approach is through co-operatives.

“We have not gone to sleep and are still looking for ways to improve the livelihood of the people who depend on cocoa,” Toreu said.

Acting manager field services Charles Koel said the change in approach was due to the low level of adoption.

He said the cocoa board launched the national cocoa cooperative marketing scheme in 2005 but when the cocoa pod borer struck in 2006, cooperatives were neglected as stakeholders were busy chopping down trees which carried the pest.