By Cielito Reganit
MANILA, (PNA) — An intervention program undertaken by the Philippine Coconut Authority to eradicate scale insect infestation plaguing coconut farms in several towns of Batangas and Quezon have shown positive results, PCA authorities said Tuesday.
PCA Administrator Euclides Forbes said that based on reports coming from the field, out of the affected 476,845 coconut trees in eight municipalities from the two provinces, 34,588 have manifested signs of recovery due to the agency’s Sama-samang Aksyon ng Gobyerno, Industriya at Pamayanan (SAGIP) program.
The 476,845 affected trees in various degrees of infestation – from low to severe – are located in the towns of Agoncillo, Lemery, Sto, Tomas, Talisay, Laurel, Malvar and Balete in Batangas and in Sampaloc in Quezon
“The appearance of new leaves from the 34,588 trees is a sure sign that they are already recovering and showed that the SAGIP program is effective in combating scale insect infestation,” Forbes said.
SAGIP involves the massive spraying of a solution made of dishwashing liquid and cochin oil; cutting of old, senile and beyond recovery infested trees; leaf pruning of young and moderately affected leaves; application of fertilizer; and the mass production and release of known bio-control agents (predators) of scale insects.
The PCA program is a joint operation with the local government units, industry stakeholders and the private sector.
Meanwhile, Forbes said that while significant scale insect infestations were reported in the two provinces, he assured that it is not a threat to the country’s coconut industry.
“The total number of infested trees represents only .05 percent of the 3 million coconut trees in the country,” he said and added that infestation is only limited to Region 4-A.
He likewise assured that the SAGIP program is a continuous effort.
“PCA field personnel are continuously monitoring scale insect incidences for immediate treatment and are always ready to provide technical assistance to affected farmers,” he said.