August 2nd 2021
The cocoa industry is set to be revived in rural Bogia, Madang, following the signing of an agreement between the PNG Cocoa Board (PNGCB) and Bogia District Development Authority (DDA) last Friday (July 30th 2021).
Cocoa thrived in Bogia until Cocoa Pod Borer (CPB) decimated the industry and caused people to lose interest.
The agreement, signed by PNGCB Extension Manager Anton Varvaliu and Bogia DDA Administrator Jacob Asevi, was witnessed by Agriculture and Livestock Minister Hon. John Simon, Bogia MP Hon. Robert Naguri, Department of Agriculture and Livestock Acting-Secretary Steven Mombi, PNG Cocoa Board Chief Executive Officer Boto Gaupu and his officers, as well as representatives from the Madang Provincial Administration.
Hundreds of Bogia cocoa farmers and people witnessed the signing.
Minister Simon also presented K120,000 to the Bogia DDA on behalf of the Marape Government to start rolling out the nursery programme.
Gaupu said Bogia was once one of the leading cocoa-producing districts in the country until the onslaught of CPB.
He said PNGCB had gone into partnership with Bogia DDA to revive the cocoa industry there, with support of the Marape Government through nursery rollouts; freight subsidy; market promotion; and quality control.
The PNGCB will also be having an extension officer based permanently in Bogia to attend to the needs of farmers.
Gaupu was thankful that MP Naguri took the initiative to revive the cocoa industry in Bogia.
“Cocoa production has gone down because of CPB,” he said.
“This place was predominantly cocoa, and when the CPB hit, the industry was devastated.
“A lot of resources were poured in to contain CPB, however, like other cocoa-producing areas, production has gone down because people lost interest.
“People were indifferent to growing cocoa.”
“Bogia used to produce almost 3000 tonnes of cocoa, generating K10 million out of the K20 million total Madang production.
“This place (Bogia) is the hub of all agriculture activities (in Madang).
“You have beautiful, fertile land and all the labour here.
“What else do you need to create employment here?”
Gaupu said in the Momase Region, large plantations could not be found in Morobe and Sepik provinces, only Madang.
“The largest plantations are here, along the North Coast of Madang,” he said.
“These are resources that we must utilise to revive agriculture and ‘Take Back PNG’.”