BACOLOD City – Fall armyworm infestation has inflicted significant losses amounting to P37.32 million in corn farms across 11 local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental.
Data from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) showed that approximately 2,504.6 hectares of corn fields tilled by 3,961 farmers across 77 barangays have been affected as of July 30.
San Carlos City recorded the highest losses at P9.465 million, followed by Calatrava with P7.084 million and La Castellana with P4.439 million. Himamaylan City also reported substantial damage at P3.772 million.
Other affected LGUs include the municipalities of Moises Padilla, Isabela, Murcia, Don Salvador Benedicto, Hinoba-an, Ilog, and the city of Sipalay.
Fall armyworms, known for their rapid spread and voracious appetite for maize, have posed a severe threat to corn production in Negros Occidental, affecting both small-scale and large-scale farmers alike.
Nilo Basco Jr., head of the crop protection section of the OPA, earlier said fall armyworms surfaced after rains started following the long dry season.
Armyworms cause damage to crops through defoliation — the premature removal of the grassy parts of plants such as leaves. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
