Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri on Wednesday, July 3, promised seek the release of Department of Agriculture emergency funds to help farmers battle against the spread of fall armyworms that have been destroying sugarcane and corn crops in Negros Occidental.
Zubiri, who was in Negros Occidental, said he was calling Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to ask him to release emergency funds for the purchase of pesticides.
The armyworms are an offshoot of the long dry spell, he said.
When the rains come after a dry spell the pests start coming out, he said.
The only way to fight them is with the pesticides, he said.
The fall armyworms have attacked 558.23 hectares of sugarcane and corn farms in nine local government units in Negros Occidental affecting 663 farmers, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist reported.
They have attacked farms in Himamaylan and Kabankalan cities, and the towns of Isabela, Binalbagan, Moises Padilla, Ilog, La Castellana, Cauayan and Murcia, the OPA said.*