The fall armyworms infestation in Negros Oriental has already spread to 22 of the 25 towns and cities in the province, a Department of Agriculture (DA) official said Aug. 21.
Alejandro Rafal, DA-Provincial Agriculture Technology Coordinating Office (DA-PATCO) chief, told the Philippine News Agency that the infestation is spreading fast and has already invaded 7,586 hectares planted with corn across the province.
The towns and cities whose corn plantations were destroyed by the fall armyworms are Canlaon City, Vallehermoso, Tayasan, Dauin, La Libertad, Manjuyod, Bindoy, Sta. Catalina, Jimalalud, Ayungon, Mabinay, Basay, Bais City, Bayawan City, Zamboanguita, Guihulngan City, Tanjay City, Bacong, Amlan, Pamplona, Siaton, and Dumaguete City.
Only the towns of Sibulan, San Jose, and Valencia have yet to submit their reports or may not have experienced armyworm infestations so far, a report from the DA-PATCO showed.
Rafal said LGU agriculture technicians have yet to do the computation as to the monetary losses caused by the infestation.
But he stressed that the estimates will be based on how much damage has been inflicted on the cornfields at different planting stages, such as vegetative, maturity, flowering, and budding.
Efforts to contain the spread of the fall armyworms include the spraying of insecticides, the introduction of trichogramma biocontrol agents, and handpicking, he added. ||
