BACOLOD CITY: The Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) continues to assist corn farmers as damage brought by armyworms to plantations reached PHP50.238 million as of Aug. 12, its report on Wednesday showed. The infestation, which was first reported in June, has spread to farms in 18 local government units (LGUs), affecting 3,377.61 hectares tilled by 5,256 farmers in 120 villages. 'We have taken actions to address the fall armyworm infestation,' OPA officer-in-charge Dina Genzola said in a report to Governor Eugenio Lacson. These include procurement of neem oil-based insecticides and conduct of orientation and supervised spraying as part of the campaign and mitigating measures. The OPA facilitated the distribution of phentoate-based insecticides and nembicidine insecticides from the Department of Agriculture-Regional Crop Protection Center and Bureau of Plant Industry central office to the affected LGUs. It also distributed fall armyworm lures and monitored the installation of t raps to control male adults in around 650 hectares of infested areas. Spraying activities are also being conducted in farms located in Murcia, Isabela, Binalbagan, La Castellana and Himamaylan City together with partner government agencies and private firms. The Bantay Peste Brigade in each LGU has also been activated to assist in reporting pest infestation. Also, the request to procure PHP3 million worth of insecticides is being processed, the OPA said. Consolidated data showed that San Carlos City reported the highest amount of damage at PHP9.465 million, followed by the neighboring Calatrava town, PHP9.172 million; Moises Padilla, PHP6.648 million; La Castellana, PHP4.439 million; and Himamaylan City, PHP3.772 million. Also affected are Isabela, PHP3.291 million; Murcia, PHP3.211 million; Cauayan, PHP2.765 million; Toboso, PHP2.56 million; and Don Salvador Benedicto, PHP2.353 million. The rest of the localities with reported damage valued below PHP1 million are Hinigaran, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Sagay City, Cadiz City, Bago City, Kabankalan City and Sipalay City. Source: Philippines News Agency