BAGAN SERAI – A total of 112 padi farmers in three villages here suffered losses amounting to RM24,000 when their crops were attacked by brown planthoppers and a few diseases.
State plantation, agriculture and food industry committee chairman Razman Zakaria said the attack involved 79ha of padi fields in Kg Parit Haji Ali, Parit Mentara, and Alor Pongsu in Compartment F.
He said the attack came with the wind and caused browning of leaves and half-filled or empty grain.
“Apart from brown planthoppers, padi growers are also facing attacks from other diseases including bacterial leaf blight, rice bugs, and Asiatic rice borers,” he said in a press conference at Surau Al-Firdaus in Parit Haji Ali after visiting the sites here today.
Razman, who is also the Gunung Semanggol assemblyman, said early monitoring could prevent the padi fields from being damaged by brown planthoppers.
He said the state agriculture department had allocated RM40,000 for pesticides to help farmers protect their padi fields from pests and diseases by using dust and smoke methods.
Meanwhile, state agriculture department director Norsiyenti Othman said according to the standard operating procedures, the area should be sprayed with pesticides and be monitored more frequently.
“A group of more than 10 brown planthoppers can damage the rice fields in a day or two. The insects live and lay eggs on rice stalks,” Norsiyenti said, adding that traps in the form of nets and lights should be installed to detect the early presence of the insects. – Bernama, January 21, 2021
