Locusts invade Cirebon regencies

Locusts invade Cirebon regencies

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon At least 1,700 hectares of rice fields in four regencies in Cirebon have been severely damaged by locust swarms and farmers fear the insect menace left uncontrolled could threaten the region's entire harvest.

The four districts attacked by locusts were Weru, South Cirebon, Tengah Tani and Plumbon, Cirebon Agricultural Office chief Ali Effendi said.

To try and prevent the locusts from destroying more areas, Ali said the office had distributed free 260 liters of insecticide to farmers bordering on locust-hit areas.

That amount, however, is far less than farmers need to protect their crops and unlikely to make any difference to the situation.

"The insecticides have been distributed to farmers outside of the four districts where the rice plants were damaged by the locusts. Distributing the insecticide is a preventive measure in order to ensure locusts do not spread to other places," Ali said.

Despite the locusts, rice production in Cirebon this dry season is set to meet the production target of 270,000 tons, with 45,000 hectares in the region planted with rice.

Office head of pests and diseases Sunardi said the locusts often swarmed in the transition between the rainy season and the dry season.

Meanwhile, farmers whose fields were attacked by the locusts said they had put their fate in God's hands.

Rusli said he could not protect his crops with insecticides ahead of the locust attack because the spray at Rp 13,000 (US$1.35) a liter was too expensive.

He had lost half his year's work to the locusts, with one of his two hectares of paddies destroyed, and did not know how he would earn a living now, he said.