BY SAMIE WAIKORI
AUKI
THE Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) is now beyond eradication and is here to stay.
This message of a lost hope to rid the country of the pest is uttered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL).
Permanent Secretary of MAL, Mr Lottie Vaesekavea said his ministry is now working on the only measure against the beetle, which is to manage or control it.
In an interview during his recent trip to Auki, he said CRB has spread to almost every island in the country and work to secure the insect not to damage coconuts (palm) is going on.
He said the current status of CRB is beyond eradication and MAL is only working to manage them by reducing their trend in the country.
Vaesekavea said that there is a concept known as “insect family planning” and the concept involved bio-control that affects the breeding capacity of the insects (CRB).
He explained that the concept was put in place and it gears at reducing the breeding number of CRB.
Vaesekavea said the core strengthen of the program was for everyone to participate in it, and this is by restoring coconut as an important income source.
He explained that the program required management or cleaning of coconut farms or plantation to do away with ideal places where CRB could breed.
Vaesekavea said this is the concept and only if people see coconut as an important income source it will apply, if not the beetle will continue to breed.
He said through the restoration of coconut farms or plantation it covers; cleaning, replanting and everyone must bear in mind that MAL cannot do it by themselves, it needs everyone to do it.
Vaesekavea stressed that collective participation of everyone is paramount in this effort to manage CRB and to strengthen coconut industry for market.
