Calamity declared in Pangasinan town as worms destroy onion farms

Harvesting onions is a family affair at Bautista town in Pangasinan province. —WILLIE LOMIBAO

BAUTISTA, PANGASINAN—This town has been placed under a state of calamity due to the invasion of armyworms that has destroyed 289.3 hectares of onion farms in 11 of 18 villages.

In a resolution approved during its special session on Feb. 12, the town council said the infestation had affected 1,000 farmers and their families.

Armyworms breed in grassy patches near the farms with every female worm laying about 800 to 1,000 eggs that could hatch into a million worms.

Based on an estimated net income of P298,600 for every hectare, total cost of onions destroyed so far was about P74.55 million, said Rodrigo Tagulao, the town’s agriculturist.

He said a state of calamity would allow the town government to access funds for farm assistance.

So far, 509.3 ha of onion farms in 31 villages here and in Alcala, Bayambang and Malasiqui towns have been ravaged by armyworms.

Bayambang, Ilocos region’s top onion producer, has at least 100 of 1,480 ha of onion farms destroyed in seven villages, said Artemio Buezon, the town’s agriculturist.

In Alcala, Edgardo Tugas, the town’s agriculturist, said technicians had been advising onion farmers to use different brands of insecticides to prevent armyworms from becoming resistant. At least 91 ha of onion farms in 11 villages of the town had been destroyed by armyworms.

Farm-gate prices of onions have gone down from P32 to P25 a kilogram. —GABRIEL CARDINOZA