Kantarawaddy Times
Farmers in Dee Maw Hso Township, Karenni State, say this year’s rice yields may be lower than in previous years due to two waves of pest infestations affecting their paddy fields.
“One outbreak occurred earlier in the season, when stem borers and leaf-eating insects destroyed the plants. Now, about one to two months before harvest, both the leaf-eating pests and crop borers have returned, causing severe defoliation. The leaf pests have eaten almost all the leaves,” said farmer Ko Jen Ni.
According to local farmers, changes in weather patterns and the shortage of pure rice seeds have made their crops more vulnerable to pests such as stem borers, leaf-eating insects, and crop-damaging worms.
Dr. Saw Oo Yeh, an agricultural expert who currently works on producing pure rice seed varieties, said pest infestations could reduce rice yields by 50 to 70 percent.
“To control stem borers and leaf-eating pests, farmers need to use chemical pesticides. For general crop pests, placing food such as dead chickens or pieces of meat outside the fields can help drive the pests away” he explained.
During the first week of October — typically the ripening period for rice — heavy rainfall across Karenni State has also slowed the ripening process, causing difficulties for some farmers trying to harvest their crops.
