SINGOJURUH – Anxiety befell the farmers in the Singojuruh District area, Banyuwangi Regency. How not, Many rice plants are now starting to be attacked by leafhoppers and cut necks. They are worried that their harvest will decrease and they will suffer losses.
So as not to go bankrupt, quite a few of these farmers were forced to harvest early. Even though it hasn't turned yellow yet, Many rice plants were harvested yesterday (4/5). “Pest attacks are very fierce,” Saleh explained, 48, one of the farmers from Alasmalang Village, Singojuruh District.
According to Saleh, Attacks by leafhoppers and cut-throat pests are quite devastating in several villages in Singojuruh District. At the moment, Almost all farmers grow rice. “Pests attack quickly because everyone is planting rice,” he said.
Attack planthoppers and cut their necks, light him, allegedly due to minimal and late irrigation water supply. “From the results of our observations, perhaps the impact of the start of this dry season,” he said.
Other Farmers, Jamilah, 45, admitted that during the dry season his rice crops had not had a direct impact. It is just, the development of rice plants is less than optimal, and it is almost evenly distributed in all areas due to leafhoppers and cut-neck pests.
“If the type of rice is resistant, it will cut its neck, If you can't stand it, you'll be attacked by leafhoppers,” clear.
As a result of the attack by planthoppers and the neck was cut, now the farmers are restless. Almost all rice plants have the same fate. Farmers can only surrender, because cutting the neck attacks when the plant starts to fill up.
“Crop yields also dropped drastically, and it's not worth the operational costs,” he said.
If normal condition, light him, from half a hectare of rice planting area you can harvest up to 20 sack or 2 ton. However, because it has to be harvested earlier like now, the quality of rice production decreases.
“Getting a ton is already good, If you don't harvest early, you could suffer even bigger losses,” he said.
