According to the latest reports, more than 1,000 hectares of coffee in Đắk Nông Province have been severely damaged by mealybug attacks. Krông Nô District has suffered the largest losses with over 500 hectares affected, followed by Đắk Mil with more than 350 hectares and Đắk Song with over 150 hectares.
On May 5, the Đắk Nông Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that since early April, unusual and unpredictable weather patterns across the province have created favorable conditions for pests and diseases to spread—especially mealybugs attacking coffee plants.
Because the dry season had just ended, many farmers—particularly in Krông Nô—became complacent, failing to inspect their fields regularly or to spray preventive pesticides at the start of the rainy season. By the time mealybug infestations were discovered and spraying began, severe damage had already occurred. In many plantations, mealybugs had already sucked the sap from the coffee branches, causing yellowing and dieback, while young coffee cherries shriveled and turned black—seriously threatening yields in the coming harvest.
To help farmers fight the outbreak, the Department has instructed local agricultural offices and plant protection stations to guide farmers in using specialized mealybug-control pesticides. In severely affected areas, farmers are advised to cut and destroy infected branches and fruit clusters. Where mealybugs have attacked coffee roots, they should promptly apply chemical treatments and spread lime powder around the base of the plants.
The Đắk Nông Department of Agriculture warns that during seasonal transitions—especially under this year’s extreme weather of intense heat and limited rainfall—conditions are ideal for mealybugs to spread rapidly. Farmers are therefore urged to inspect their coffee fields frequently and, in addition to pruning and balanced fertilization, proactively spray protective pesticides before infestations appear.