THERE’S grave concern that the deadly Rhinoceros beetle has been seen lately infesting on noni plants.
That’s according to the North-West Guadalcanal Development Association (NWGDA) Chairman.
Simon Chottu stated that lately, they have seen rhinoceros beetle feeding on noni plants.
In a statement, he said the farmers are calling on the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) to investigate and address this issue before it gets out of hand.
“We have seen the Rhinoceros beetles eating the noni stems, leaves, and now the noni fruits.”
And Mr. Chottu said this is a concern for local noni farmers as it will affect production.
He added the ministry must address this because it is a serious matter upon the food security and noni farming industry.
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) on Friday 15th January 2021 received a grant funding arrangement of SBD$10 million for over a two-year period to strengthening management and control of Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) in the Solomon Islands.
MAL media reported this is to support biosecurity officials to control and prevent the spread of existing CRB infestations.
A new strain of CRB from Guam (CRG- Guam) is proving resistant to current biocontrol measures and has the potential to impact 50-90% of coconut, oil, sago, and beetle nut palms without intervention.
The new partnership will therefore increase provincial CRB surveillance, clean-up, and management activities; establish internal quarantine protocol to limit the spread of CRB between provinces; and collect and analyze CRB samples to inform integrated pest management practices. It builds on work completed by MAL to map out sites of CRB infestation across the Solomon Islands which is informing the response.
By ESTHER NURIA
HONIARA, NEWSROOM
