10 Apr 2006

Logging companies in PNG blamed for presence of cocoa disease

7:05 am on 10 April 2006

Authorities in Papua New Guinea are blaming logging companies for the presence of a destructive cocoa disease.

The East New Britain Province has been placed under an agricultural quarantine as the government attempts to contain the spread of the cocoa pod borer.

The Province is one of the leading cocoa producers in the country with an estimated 34,000 hectares of cocoa containing up to 17 million trees.

A Response and Co-ordination Unit has been set up to draw up strategies aimed at combating the past incursion.

Our correspondent, Alex Rheneey say authorities are pointing the finger at loggers.

"the cocoa pod borer was discovered on East New Britain province around the Karavat area - which was the scene of logging activities in the last few years. So what has happened is - authorities on the ground are actually blaming the logging industry for bringing in the disease."