BALANGA CITY, Bataan – Swarms of army and cat worms have infested crops, trees and even grasslands in six towns in Bataan, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist reported Tuesday.
Some 44 hectares of land planted with rice, corn, watermelon and cassava were damaged in the towns of Mariveles, Hermosa, Samal, Orani and Abucay.
Cesar Sarili, OPA operations officer, said the report has yet to include the affected rice and corn plants in barangays Kinawan and Binaritan in Morong town. The municipal agriculturist was still collating the extent of damage in the mountain town.
Sarili said the worms did not spared even the 25 mature narra trees along the Roman Superhighway in Batangas Dos, Mariveles.
He said they will be spraying insecticides to affected areas especially plants, grass and trees. Sarili added that it will not be harmful to grass-eating animals like goats, cows and carabaos.
Provincial Agriculturist Imelda Inieto said Gov. Enrique Garcia has ordered immediate action on the infestation to prevent further damage in the remaining five towns and one city in the province.
Al Balan, barangay councilman of Alion, said that not only rice and corn plants were destroyed by the worms also destroyed in the upland village of Mariveles.
In Alion alone, the councilman said 20 hectares of lands planted with rice and corn have been destroyed. He asked the government to provide assistance to the affected farmers even in the form of palay seeds.
Farmer Nick Piala said that he only harvested four sacks of rice in his two-hectare land last June 22. In three days, nothing has been left of the riceplants.
He said he has no idea how the worms appeared. Worms were seen feasting on what has been left of the rice and corn plants. Many were seen crawling on the road.
Balan, other barangay councilmen and farmers said elders in Alion recounted that the village was last ravaged by worms in 1957.
In near-by Batangas Dos, narra trees seemed to have withered with almost no more green leaves. Hordes of worms were crawling on the trunks and many feasting on remaining leaves. Sarili said cat worms appear every five years in Bataan staying on idle lands. He added that the worms should have appeared in 2009 but heavy rains prevented the hatching of its eggs.
Some 44 hectares of land planted with rice, corn, watermelon and cassava were damaged in the towns of Mariveles, Hermosa, Samal, Orani and Abucay.
Cesar Sarili, OPA operations officer, said the report has yet to include the affected rice and corn plants in barangays Kinawan and Binaritan in Morong town. The municipal agriculturist was still collating the extent of damage in the mountain town.
Sarili said the worms did not spared even the 25 mature narra trees along the Roman Superhighway in Batangas Dos, Mariveles.
He said they will be spraying insecticides to affected areas especially plants, grass and trees. Sarili added that it will not be harmful to grass-eating animals like goats, cows and carabaos.
Provincial Agriculturist Imelda Inieto said Gov. Enrique Garcia has ordered immediate action on the infestation to prevent further damage in the remaining five towns and one city in the province.
Al Balan, barangay councilman of Alion, said that not only rice and corn plants were destroyed by the worms also destroyed in the upland village of Mariveles.
In Alion alone, the councilman said 20 hectares of lands planted with rice and corn have been destroyed. He asked the government to provide assistance to the affected farmers even in the form of palay seeds.
Farmer Nick Piala said that he only harvested four sacks of rice in his two-hectare land last June 22. In three days, nothing has been left of the riceplants.
He said he has no idea how the worms appeared. Worms were seen feasting on what has been left of the rice and corn plants. Many were seen crawling on the road.
Balan, other barangay councilmen and farmers said elders in Alion recounted that the village was last ravaged by worms in 1957.
In near-by Batangas Dos, narra trees seemed to have withered with almost no more green leaves. Hordes of worms were crawling on the trunks and many feasting on remaining leaves. Sarili said cat worms appear every five years in Bataan staying on idle lands. He added that the worms should have appeared in 2009 but heavy rains prevented the hatching of its eggs.
