INFESTED. Sugarcane plant attacked by fall armyworms in Barangay Cabadiangan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental during a monitoring in this undated photo. Nine local government units are affected as of June 27, 2024, the latest report of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist showed. (Photo courtesy of Atty. Dino Yulo Facebook)
BACOLOD CITY – Experts from the National Crop Protection Center of University of the Philippines-Los Baños (NCPC-UPLB) will be in Negros Occidental this week to help farmers contain the fall armyworm infestation in at least nine local government units.
The team from Laguna province will join experts from the Department of Agriculture-Western Visayas Regional Crop Protection Center, Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) during the validation of the affected areas in 5th District on Wednesday.
“We will also validate the damage in the area as reported to the SRA,” Nilo Basco Jr., head of the OPA Crop Protection Section, said in an interview on Monday.
OPA report showed that as of June 27, fall armyworms have infested 558 hectares of corn and sugarcane fields in Himamaylan City, Isabela, Binalbagan, Moises Padilla and La Castellana in the 5th District; Kabankalan City, Ilog and Cauayan in the 6th District; and Murcia in the 3rd District.
Some 663 farmers from a total of 40 villages in these localities are affected, it added.
Fifth District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo, who has been monitoring the infestation since last week, has tapped private chemical companies to conduct demonstration on the use of insecticides against armyworms.
Last week, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the provincial government is making an emergency purchase of insecticides and is also coordinating with the SRA in carrying out drone spraying. (PNA)
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