Vizcaya farmers, gov’t move to stop citrus infestation

BY JOAN CAPUNA

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Provincial Agriculture officials downplayed the severity of citrus infestation in a remote mountain town here, while coordinating with local government units and farmers to prevent its spread.

The provincial agriculturist’s office said measures have been undertaken to contain Huang Long Bing infestation of Citrus farms in the province.

Perlita Manuel, agriculturist-in-charge of citrus here, said representatives from the Dept. of Agriculture regional office based in Tuguegarao City earlier met local citrus farmers, local agriculture officials and concerned agencies and group represented in the provincial citrus task force based in Kasibu town to map strategies to save the citrus industry in the province, considered as Cagayan Valley’s citrus capital.

“What was discussed was the proper management of citrus to maintain its marketability,” she said.

Manuel said as of now, citrus farmers in the area are identifying infected trees and cutting them down.

“This is sufficient to prevent the disease. Anyway, citrus are not like bananas that when gets infested with bunchy top you have to cut down all the banana plants nearby,” she said.

Manuel said most of the citrus plants affected by Huang Long Bing (also known as citrus greening disease) in Kasibu are those planted to Satsuma oranges, mandarin oranges, Ponkan oranges, and pomelo. “But of course not all citrus trees belonging to these varieties were affected,” she added.

Earlier, officers of the Malabing Valley Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which includes most of the province’s citrus farmers, had moved to control the disease, said to be widespread worldwide.