Pests destroy cocoa plantations

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: At least 142 out of 240 hectares of cocoa plantations in South Sulawesi have been ravaged by larval attacks, which destroyed the cocoa beans and inflicted between Rp 750 billion and Rp 700 billion in financial losses to farmers.

"This was the biggest pest attack that ever occurred here judging from the farmers' huge losses. The pests, which first appeared in the province in 1995, destroy the beans." assistant director of the local plantation Karya Yunus said here on Thursday.

Citing data from the province's Plant Protection Office, Yunus said that almost 70 percent of cocoa plantations in the province had been devastated, leaving only about 98,000 hectares of the plantations safe from attack.

The worst-hit area was North Luwu regency, where cocoa production had fallen to 28 thousand tons, he said.

The head of the regency plant protection office, Burhanuddin Sabar, said his office had given advice to farmers on how to fight the infestation, including safe and effective ways of controlling the pests, which appeared to have a high level of resistance to insecticide.--JP