MANILA: Necessary interventions are in place to minimize the effects of armyworm infestation in the country's onion farms, the Department of Agriculture (DA) assured on Thursday. "Pest management activities like the provision of technical assistance, pheromone lures, biological control agents, biopesticides, and synthetic pesticides to control the pest are being implemented," the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) said in a report. It added that these interventions were being conducted in coordination with local government units (LGUs) and DA field offices in affected regions. Based on the BPI's plant health and pest status report, around 12,137.92 hectares of onion farms have been infested by armyworms as of April 30. Of the total, around 674.10 hectares were totally damaged, while 4,045.03 hectares were partially damaged. The affected areas include the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan). Central Luzon reported the highest land area aff ected at 6,980.49 hectares. However, only 18 hectares sustained total damage, following the treatment of 2,797.17 hectares of partially damaged plantation. Cagayan Valley, however, recorded the highest total losses with 612.40 hectares totally damaged, which is followed by the Ilocos Region with 43.80 hectares. Mimaropa, meanwhile, sustained only partial damage in 871.60 hectares, which was treated. On Wednesday, the DA expressed optimism about the stable supply of onions following good production during its peak harvest season despite the armyworm infestation. For the first quarter of 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the onion industry recorded a 28.58 percent production increase equivalent to PHP8.098 billion, higher than the PHP6.298 billion output for the same period last year. Source: Philippines News Agency