Philippines: Infested coconut trees now at 2.1 million
Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization (PAFSAM) Francis “Kiko” N. Pangilinan said at a press briefing on Monday that there is a race to stop the infestation, since the 1.2 million affected trees recorded in May have almost doubled in 50-60 days, reaching a scope of 2.1 million affected trees.
To address this, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and DoST have teamed up to come up with a way to handle the infestation.
“We should have a significant reduction in population (of the pests) within the next four to six months,” said DoST Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Amelia P. Guevara.
According to Ms. Guevara, the proposed insect infestation remedy will be composed of four steps. The first is pruning, where infested trees and fruits will be removed. This is followed by trunk injection, then spraying of organic pesticide, then a release of biocontrol agents.
“We are confident in this protocol,” said DoST Secretary Mario G. Montejo.
Mr. Pangilinan also said that the government has done studies and tests to make sure that the procedure will be viable.
According to the PAFSAM, to address loss in income, farmers affected by the infestation will be tapped to conduct the pruning, trunk injection, spraying, and fertilization.
“There has to be mobilization in the grassroots,” Mr. Pangilinan added, saying that the farmers will need to be trained before conducting the procedure. “It needs to be done and done correctly.”
Source: bworldonline.com
