KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Farmers in Manchester and St Elizabeth are being advised by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries to take precaution against the beet armyworm, following a rise in the pest population.

Deputy Director of the Crop & Plant Protection Unit, Michelle Sherwood, said that since the start of October, the unit has detected a surge in the pest in the seven areas of the two parishes, which are usually affected.

These include Cross Keys in Manchester and Comma Pen and Bull Savannah in St Elizabeth.

“In our last evaluation, which was done on November 8, we found that the population has gone above what we call an action threshold. In all seven areas, we saw that the numbers are of concern because it is increasing and it is now at a point where farmers are being called on to manage their areas properly,” she said.

The beet armyworm is a destructive pest that affects the production of onion and scallion. Farmers are being encouraged by the ministry to adhere to the warning and to implement pest control measures in order to prevent any potential damage to their fields.

“In the past, the value of the outbreaks has reached as much as $140 million. If we act now we can avoid a repeat of previous outbreaks. We are asking farmers to work with us by taking the necessary actions that have been shared with them through our Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) extension officers,” Sherwood advised.

She is appealing to farmers in the affected areas to reach out to the relevant authorities if they need additional information about the management and monitoring of their fields.