Agriculture department scrambles to arrest rice bug infestation in Northern Samar

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala

The agriculture department is scrambling to contain a bug infestation in Northern Samar that has blighted a majority of the palay farmlands in the province.

Antonio Gerundio, director of the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office in Eastern Visayas, has reported that 17 out of 24 municipalities in the province have been affected by the rice black bug, which reduces the potential harvest by 15 to 23 percent.

Northern Samar contributes 10 percent of the rice harvest in the Eastern Visayas. Last year, it produced 98,380 metric tons of palay from a total of 38,183 hectares planted to the crop.

Eastern Visayas is composed of the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Western Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar.

Mitigation

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said he has ordered the region’s agriculture officials to implement mitigation measures to contain the infestation.

“We are doing everything we can in order to reduce and control the rice black bug population so other Eastern Visayas provinces will not be affected,” Alcala said.

He said the DA’s laboratory in Irawan, Cawahig, has been directed to produce Metarhizium anisopliae, a fungus that serves as a “biocontrol” parasite of the rice black bug. The bugs can also be controlled using light traps.

Alcala said 55 light trap sets have already been distributed by local government units in the province.

Clean cropping

DA experts also urged farmers to remove rice stubbles and practice the clean cropping method, synchronize planting, ensure good irrigation, raise ducks that will eat the bugs, if possible, and apply Metarhizium anisopliae to the standing crop.

Chemical pesticides may be used as a last option, Alcala said.

Alcala has meanwhile announced that the DA has allotted almost half a billion pesos to upgrade farm infrastructure in Northern Samar.

The DA has earmarked P474 million to complete an irrigation project, construct farm-to-market roads and implement other agricultural and livelihood projects in the province.

Of the total amount,  Alcala said P209 million will be used to complete the irrigation component of the Help for Catubig Agricultural Advancement Project.

The project will irrigate 4,550 hectares and benefit more than 1,600 farm families in the towns of Catubig and Las Navas, in Northern Samar.  Kristine L. Alave