Grasshoppers ruin C. Kalimantan rice

PALANGKA RAYA, Central Kalimantan: Almost one thousand hectares of rice fields in the Kotawaringin Barat area here have been destroyed by grasshoppers in the last three weeks.

Local officials were quoted as saying by Antara news agency on Friday that about 933 hectares of rice fields in the area had been destroyed since late January.

Officials said swarms of grasshoppers were first detected in September, however the most serious damage only occurred in the past few weeks.

The worst hit areas were Kotawaringin Lama, Balai Riam, Lamandau and Delang.