Cambodianess / By Chhum Chantha
PHNOM PENH – Fall armyworm has spread to 12 provinces, affecting more than 13,000 hectares of crops, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries says.
Spokesperson Khim Finan said that the affected area of 13,805 hectares accounted for only about 1 percent of the cultivated area in the country.
The ministry has sent officials to all provinces to take measures, including in areas where there is no presence of the worms yet.
“We are closely monitoring the worms,” Finan said.
If there is heavy rain as predicted, the worms will no longer be a problem since they will not be able to survive long in water, Finan said.
If the weather is not favorable, ministry experts are prepared for further intervention.
He said that if there is a water source nearby, the water could be drained into fields to submerge rice.
As of June 20, of the 13,805 hectares of crops affected, 10,689 hectares are rice, 52 hectares are of horticulture and mixed crops and 3,064 hectares of industry crops, the ministry said.
Affected provinces include Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom, Kratie, Preah Vihear, Siem Reap, Stung Treng, Takeo, Battambang, Pailin, Tbong Khmum and Stung Treng.
The General Department of Agriculture says the situation is being monitored and intervention is taking place to control the outbreak.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this article was translated by Torn Chanritheara for Cambodianess.