Preliminary field reports on Friday indicated that the pest has caused extensive damage, resulting in dried-out crops in Durenan Sub-district, Trenggalek, and Pakel Sub-district, Tulungagung.
Despite farmers' repeated attempts to control the infestation with various pesticides, these efforts have been largely unsuccessful.
Ahmad Zuhdan, the Durenan Sub-district Head, reported that 238 hectares of rice fields across 12 villages in his area are affected, with infestations ranging from light to severe.
The most severely impacted villages are Pandesaan (35 hectares) and Malasan (30 hectares). Some 10 other villages are also experiencing varying levels of infestation.
Zuhdan explained that the symptoms are clear: plants are turning yellow, stems are weakening, and grains are not developing. Some fields are already facing possible crop failure.
Similar conditions have been observed in Kendal Village, Pakel Sub-district, Tulungagung.
One farmer, Muali, expressed frustration that the current planthoppers are now resistant to pesticides.
"We have sprayed them 12 times, but they remain and are even increasing in number. I am now trying to sprinkle sand mixed with diesel fuel, so hopefully, that will solve the problem," he stated.
Both farmers and officials have deployed various measures, including manual and drone-assisted insecticide spraying.
However, the sheer scale of the infestation and the pests' rapid spread, exacerbated by drought conditions, make control efforts difficult.
The brown planthopper outbreak in Trenggalek and Tulungagung serves as a stark, real-world example of the significant challenges to President Prabowo's ambitious food self-sufficiency mission.
While the president has set aggressive goals for national food security, the farmers' struggle with this single pest demonstrates the fragile reality on the ground.
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Translator: Destyan H. Sujarwoko, Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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