Agri dep’t urges rapid reporting of crop pests

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said farmers should report pest and disease infestation in their areas as soon as possible in order to help control a broader outbreak.

In a Wednesday statement, the DA in the Western Visayas Region said reporting should be rapid. It made the statement in the context of field training for agricultural extension workers and farmer technicians in Antique province.

The agency added that the regional office is preparing proactive measures in anticipation of increased pest activity now that the wet cropping season has started.

“Affected farmers shall report pest incidence to their respective local farmer technician, barangay committee chairman on agriculture or president of the farmers’ association. Then a report shall be submitted within two days to the agricultural extension worker who will validate the said report,” the statement read.

Aside from encouraging the use of chemical pesticides, the agency is also urging farmers to use biocontrol agents such as trichogramma and metarhizium in the event of a confirmed pest infestation.

Dr. Vicente Nim, chief of the DA Region VI’s Integrated Laboratories Division, stressed that crop protection and pest management are important in crop production.

“We encourage our local agriculture offices to update their municipal pest profiles annually so that the RCPC (Regional Crop Protection Center) could give a pest advisory to our farmers. The RCPC is devising strategies on how to provide early warning and quick responses to protect our crop producers,” Dr. Nim added.

Last January, an outbreak of armyworms in two barangays in San Jose, Antique affected 237.6 hectares planted to rice.

The infestation was contained through the intervention of the local government unit in coordination with the DA.

Antique and Capiz are two provinces in the Western Visayas with high pest incidence.