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Pests damage farmland in Cirebon
Hundreds of hectares of rice fields in Cirebon regency, West Java, are at risk of harvest failure due to an invasion of rodents and insects
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undreds of hectares of rice fields in Cirebon regency, West Java, are at risk of harvest failure due to an invasion of rodents and insects.
'Attacks by pests have taken place in the past month. Hundreds of hectares of rice fields have been severely damaged and are at risk of harvest failure,' said head of the Cirebon regency agriculture, plantation, forestry and livestock agency, Ali Effendi, on Monday.
As many as 400 hectares of rice fields in Cirebon regency have been damaged. They are found in the nine districts of Dukuh Puntang, Sumber, Palimanan, Plumbon, Pabuaran, Weru, Depok, Beber and Arjawinangun.
'All the districts are apparently endemic to pests, especially rodents and bugs,' said Ali.
He added that the pests threatened the livelihood of thousands of farmers.
In an effort to prevent the pests from spreading, added Ali, the Cirebon regency would provide pesticides for farmers.
'We are still calculating the budget. We will certainly help the farmers by providing them with pesticides,' he added.
Ali said the pest attacks often took place before the rice planting season during the dry season, when soil moisture was very high so the pests could easily multiply.
'Farmers usually fail to anticipate this situation,' said Ali.
