• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The infestation of armyworms and earworms has affected 281 farmers tilling 178 hectares of farmlands in four local government units in Negros Occidental as of June 21.
This is according to figures of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), which reported infestation in certain villages of Himamaylan City as well as in the municipalities of Isabela, Binalbagan, Moises Padilla and Ilog.
Massive spraying of affected sugarcane has been conducted by the OPA and Sugar Regulatory Administration in tandem with private firms, Fifth District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo earlier said.
In a report, Merriam Defensor, OPA corn technical report officer, said that 80 hectares of sugarcane in Himamaylan City were hit by armyworms while 22 hectares of cornfields tilled by 135 farmers in Isabela were also attacked by earworms.
Also, 32 hectares of cornfields in Himamaylan City were infested by armyworms.
More than 25 hectares of cornfields in four barangays of Moises Padilla were also damaged by armyworms.
Nilo Basco, coordinator of the OPA Crop Protection Section, said that they are still confirming similar pest infestations in Barangay Concepcion in Talisay City.
Basco said they are now fast tracking the purchase of P3 million worth of pesticides to address the further spread of armyworms to other LGUs.
The armyworm outbreak was blamed on the climatic change, triggered by the El Niño phenomenon and subsequent rains. | GB
