Armyworms are attacking sugarcane and corn crops in several areas in the 5th District of Negros Occidental and efforts are underway to contain their spread.
A sugarcane field at Sitio Iling-iling, Brgy. Cabadiangan, Himamaylan City, and a cornfield at Brgy. Santol, Binalbagan, were attacked by armyworms, Rep. Emilio Yulo III (Neg. Occ., 5th District) said Wednesday, June 19.
He said crops in Isabela town have also been hit.
Mostly large portions of sugarcane fields are affected, Yulo said.
Armyworms cause damage to crops through defoliation — the premature removal of the grassy parts of plants such as leaves.
Nilo Basco Jr., head of the Crop Protection Section of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, said the fall armyworms and cutworms infestation have damaged mostly sugarcane in barangays Cabadiangan and Carabalan in Himamaylan.
The Army worms have hit 80 hectares of sugarcane in Sitio Iling-iling, Brgy. Cabadiangan, belonging to mostly small farmers, Basco said.
The OPA together with the Sugar Regulatory Administration on Thursday will conduct massive spraying to prevent the spread of the armyworms to other areas, Basco said.
The armyworms surfaced after it started to rain following the long dry season, he said.*