The Department of Agriculture has pledged to improve its assistance to onion farmers in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac facing significant crop losses due to the armyworm infestation.

Bureau of Plant Industry director Gerald Glenn Panganiban said that 366 hectares out of the 10,217 hectares of onion farmlands have been infested by armyworms.

He noted that only crops in 6.9 hectares of the infested areas were ‘totally damaged,’ while 359.1 hectares ‘sustained partial damage.’

According to DA, the towns of Bongabon, Talevera, and Palayan City were affected areas in Neva Ecija, while Anao and San Manuel were affected in Tarlac.

“Around 87 percent of areas planted with onions have red varieties, while 13 percent are planted with white onions. The balance are planted to shallots.”

The farmlands of Bataan, Pampanga, and Zambales recorded no infestation.

Since December last year, DA provided Central Luzon with 2.07 tons of onion seeds valued at P30.4 million and also gave affected farmers technical assistance, pheromone lures, and neem oil-based insecticides through the Regional Crop Protection Center.

Onion-producing areas will also receive, an additional 1.3 tons of red and white onion seeds worth P20.3 million and four cold storage for onions worth P168 million, said Panganiban adding that local government units will also provide onion growers with organic insecticides and pheromone lures.

DA said armyworms are ‘destructive pets’ that can be controlled through neem oil-based sprays or biological controls like earwigs, spiders, and predatory wasps.

“Armyworms are destructive pests that got their names from their army-like movement in agricultural fields. They usually consume turf grass but would eat any vegetation in their path.”