MANJUNG: The Plantation and Commodities Ministry (KPK) is seeking a special allocation of RM10mil in Budget 2025 to combat the bagworm attack faced by oil palm smallholders.
Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said bagworm attacks have caused oil palm smallholders nationwide to suffer millions of ringgit in losses annually.
The infestation has been detected in Bagan Datuk, Perak, and Bekok, Johor, covering an area of 7,500 hectares.
"If a helicopter is used, it will only be able to cover 500 hectares in a day, and it will take three days to complete the spraying process. The cost, not including other expenditures, could reach approximately RM100,000 per day.
"So this cost is not low for smallholders without the help of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB). It will be difficult for them (smallholders) to overcome this problem compared to large companies or listed companies that can do their own pest control," he said here on Monday (Sept 9).
He said this at a press conference on Monday after a working visit to monitor the control of bagworms and a meeting with oil palm smallholders at Dewan Orang Ramai, Kampung Banjar, Beruas.
Also present was MPOB board member Datuk Dr Azhar Ahmad, Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Malaysian Palm Oil Board deputy director-general (Services) Dr Ramlee Moslim.
Chan said that with only RM1.5mil in its current fund, MPOB could only implement an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme, including aerial formulation spraying techniques using helicopters to cover an area of 4,000 hectares.
In the meantime, Chan said MPOB is using an IPM approach involving various techniques, including aerial or ground spray methods, biopesticides, natural pheromone traps, and specific crops, to increase the population of beneficial insects in oil palm plantations and control the reproduction of bagworms.
"The control technique of bagworms in oil palm plantations with aerial spraying using a helicopter implemented in Keratong last year proved effective in eradicating attacks in oil palm plantations, he said.
He said MPOB has succeeded in reducing the population of bagworms in oil palm plantations. According to the latest census in Johor, the insect's attack on 19,000 hectares of palm plantation area was brought down to 2,000 hectares in 2023.
"In Perak, the threat of the bagworms has been successfully reduced by bringing down its population by more than 95%," he said. – Bernama
