Planthoppers attack 650.5 hectares of rice in Banyumas

Hundreds of hectares of rice crops in Banyumas were damaged due to planthopper pest attacks. Farmers lose millions of rupiah.

KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

Sairan (72) showed damaged rice plants attacked by brown leafhopper pests in Karangrau Village, Sokaraja, Banyumas, Central Java, on Tuesday (7/5/2024). Farmers failed to harvest and lost millions of rupiah due to this pest.

PURWOKERTO, KOMPAS — An area of ​​650.5 hectares of rice plants to be harvested in Banyumas Regency was damaged by planthopper pests chocolate bar. Farmers lost millions of rupiah.

"I have a 150 tile rice field (2,100 square meters), usually I can harvest 1.5 tonnes of grain. Now everything is affected by hoppers, there is nothing to harvest, there is no rice, it is empty. "This harvest failed," said Sairan (72), one of the farmers in Karangrau Village, Sokaraja District, Banyumas Regency, Central Java, Tuesday (7/5/2024).

Sairan has already spent up to IDR 3.5 million to buy seeds, fertilizers, and labor to grow his rice crops. If the harvest is successful, he should be able to earn up to IDR 6,750,000 for 1.5 tons of rice.

"The capital is already Rp 3.5 million. Yes, it's gone, it's not coming back. It's been affected by pests since it was 70 days old. I've bought medicines worth up to Rp 600,000, but it didn't work," he said.

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KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

Karto (62) showed damaged rice plants affected by the brown planthopper pest, in Karangrau Village, Sokaraja, Banyumas, Central Java, on Tuesday (7/5/2024). Farmers experienced crop failure and suffered losses amounting to millions of rupiahs due to this pest.

Sairan is now letting his crops be, as he no longer has the funds to take care of them. This father of three relies on his harvest from the rice fields for his daily living. Due to a failed crop, he is helping to harvest his friend's rice plants that have survived the onslaught of the brown planthopper.

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A similar situation is experienced by Karto (62), a farmer who cultivates rice fields covering an area of 550 tiles, or equivalent to 7,700 square meters, in Karangrau Village. "I have spent up to IDR 6 million of capital to cultivate the 550 tiles of rice fields here," said Karto.

From that area, he can usually harvest 6 tons of rice with an income value of up to Rp 18 million. With over 70 percent of the rice damaged due to the attack of brown planthoppers, it is estimated that he can only get a few hundred kilograms of rice.

"I don't know how many can be saved. I have bought the most expensive anti-wereng medicine for Rp 670,000, but it failed. In the past five years, only this year the wereng attack has been severe," said Karto.

KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

The rice plants in Karangrau Village, Sokaraja, Banyumas, Central Java, have been damaged by brown planthopper pests on Tuesday (7/5/2024). Farmers experienced harvest failures and lost millions of rupiah due to this pest.

Head of the Department of Agriculture and Food Security for Banyumas Regency, Jaka Budi Santosa, said that based on data from January 2024 until now, in Banyumas there are 650.5 hectares of rice plants that have been attacked by leafhoppers.

In the last five years, only this year has the planthopper attack been very serious.

Almost all areas in Banyumas District are affected by these brown planthopper attacks, with plants aged between 5-70 days after planting. "So far, there have been no reports of brown planthopper attacks in the safe sub-districts of Sumbang, Baturraden, and Kembaran," said Jaka.

To prevent the spread of pest attacks, they are optimizing the role of field agricultural educators (PPL) and plant pest observers in controlling pests. Based on BPS data, the area of rice harvest in Banyumas Regency in 2023 reached 51,274.44 hectares with 279,426.07 tons.