Friday, August 31, 2007 Vietnam to help RP combat coconut pest
MANILA -- The Philippines has found an ally in its fight against an invasive coconut pest.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said Vietnam has pledged to help the Philippines in controlling the coconut leaf beetle (scientifically known as the Brontispa longgissima) from spreading and causing more tree deaths in the country.
Yap said Vietnam made the commitment to help the country in combating the said pest during the recent bilateral meeting between President Arroyo and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung in Manila.
President Arroyo requested her Vietnamese counterpart for assistance in conducting Brontispa control and eradication studies by making available to our researchers a natural predator that Vietnam has cultured-the Asecodes hispinarum, which is known to be effective in the control of the coconut pest.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung for his part had assured President Arroyo that the Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will assist in eradicating the pest's infestation in the Philippines.
"We are glad that Vietnam, which was able to culture the natural predator of the coconut disease, has expressed willingness to help the country eradicate the Brontispa infestation," Yap said.
"This will be the first priority in activating and implementing the dormant memorandum of agreement on Cooperation in Agriculture and Related Fields between Manila and Hanoi," Yap said.
The coconut leaf beetle is a tiny pest which can wipe out an entire coconut plantation if left unchecked. Based on the report from DA, the pest had infested more than 70,000 tall and 5,000 small coconut trees and including ornamental palms in the country. In Vietnam and Thailand, the pest has caused millions of dollars in production losses due to death of coconut trees.
Yap said effective quarantine and information dissemination about the pest will help protect non-infected areas and islands from this scourge of coconut leaf beetle.
"We cannot take this threat lightly because the coconut leaf beetle could cause considerable damage to our coconut industry if left unattended," Yap said. (NTProvido/Press release)
