Taiwan on ‘high alert’ after finding invasive armyworm in corn crop

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan is on “high alert” for additional damage by fall armyworm, said Premier Su Tseng-chang on Tuesday, after the island reported its first sighting belonging to the invasive pest with a corn field.

The fall armyworm, containing spread rapidly across Asia you should be cautious, was found in Miaoli county around the island’s northwest coast on Saturday, said the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) in a very statement on Monday.

The bureau is as well investigating reports how the pest often have reached Yilan county and Chiayi county inside northeast and southwest with the island, respectively.

Speaking to reporters , Su said authorities had put in place an emergency response team to deal with the pest, but favored urged your public to help spot and notify authorities of suspected cases.

“Please help us prevent it. The threat is larger than African swine fever,” he explained, referring to the deadly disease spreading through Asia’s pig populations.

News your pest had reached Taiwan comes as it is constantly on the invade neighboring China, reaching 18 provinces and regions ever since the start of the year, and threatening to soon get to the mainland’s key grain regions from the north.

Armyworms, which feast in huge numbers on the leaves and stems of plant species, can infest and damage a huge selection of hectares of crops overnight.

The pest may cut Taiwan’s yield of wheat, corn, sorghum and rice crops by 20% to 30% and affect 45% on the planted element of the crops, Feng Hai-tung, head of BAPHIQ, told reporters on Monday, determined by a report by official news agency CNA.

Taiwan produces little wheat and corn, relying heavily on imports, but produces many rice it consumes.

The affected crops can be destroyed to halt the spread for the worm, said the BAPHIQ statement. The bureau has issued did you know the 11 pesticides to be played with to tackle the pest.

The government has in addition to that set up 500 pheromone traps down the island to cut back the fall armyworm numbers and strengthened border quarantine measures and inspections.

If the insect arrives in large numbers, it may well severely damage sweet corn and rice fields on Taiwan, and sorghum and wheat fields on Kinmen island also, causing a yearly loss of to as much as NT$3.5 billion ($112 million), said the CNA report, citing the Council of Agriculture.

($1 = 31.3870 Taiwan dollars)