Plant hopper attack ‘not alarming’
The extent of brown plant hopper infestation in Iloilo is not alarming as only 4.6 percent of the total area planted to rice in the province has been affected, according to the Department of Agriculture 6.
Iloilo province has 58,566 hectares of ricefields.
DA 6 Regional Director Larry Nacionales said in a press conference yesterday the 4.6 percent damage, equivalent to about 4,800 metric tons of rice,
is only .48 percent or less than one percent of the target rice production of Western Visayas.
Region 6’s target rice production output for the wet season is 1.5 million metric tons, and about 2.2 million metric tons for the entire year, he said.
Nacionales, who also briefed provincial officials led by Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. at the Capitol yesterday, said another good thing is the pests did not leave a virus or vector on the rice plants but only caused physical damage.
Nacionales attributed the spread of the brown plant hoppers to the misuse of chemicals, wrong diagnosis on the infestation, and asynchronous planting.
As of September 27, validated data from the DA 6 show the town of Lemery is the most affected, with a damage rate of 23.43 percent out of its total area planted to rice, followed by Lambunao and Leon, 13.6 percent and 13.2 percent, respectively.
Also affected are Barotac Viejo, 3.91 percent; San Dionisio, 2.74 percent; Sara, 3.78 percent; Pototan, 2 percent; Calinog, 3.32 percent; Cabatuan, 3.02 percent; San Enrique, 2.78 percent; Dingle, 0.3 percent; Oton, 0.8 percent; Guimbal, 3.2 percent; San Miguel, .07 percent; Alimodian, 8.38 percent; San Joaquin, 0.5 percent; Tigbauan, 0.3 percent; and Tubungan, 1.38 percent.
Defensor directed all agriculturists and technicians to teach the farmers on what to do and what they should not do to prevent the further spread of the plant hoppers.*
