India - Pests damage maize crop in Punjab

Pest attack: Maize growers seek relief from Punjab Govt

Complaining about damage to maize crop due to a pest attack, a large number of farmers have sought suitable compensation from the state government.

Officials of the Agriculture Department have confirmed that nearly 30 per cent of the maize crop in the district has been affected due to the attack of fall armyworm. A total of 21,000 hectares of land is under the maize crop in the district.

Sandeep Kumar, sarpanch of Jandla village near Anandpur Sahib, said farmers in his village had sown maize on nearly 100 acres. “The crop, however, was damaged due to pest attack despite spraying pesticide repeatedly,” he added.

Manohar Lal, another farmer from the village, said he had sown maize on three kanals of land. When he noticed pests, he got a pesticide from the market and sprayed it thrice but still a major portion of his crop had been damaged, he claimed.

According to the experts of the Punjab Agricultural University, fall armyworm was reported to attack the maize crop in the state towards the end of Kharif-2019 season. Dr Harpreet Kaur Cheema, entomologist (forage), said: “Since maize is grown almost round the year, the management of this new invasive pest should be done at the first appearance to minimise the increase of pest in successive generations.”

Avtar Singh, Ropar Chief Agriculture Officer, said, “Prima facie, the wrong method and timing of spraying pesticides on the crop by farmers seems to be the problem. Despite training, they tend to make mistakes and use pesticides suggested by local dealers, ignoring farm experts.”

Pests damage maize crop on 4,500 acres in Ropar

Fall armyworm, the pest that attacked maize crop in Ropar district, has left over 4,500 acres crop broken from 50 to 100% in Nurpur Bedi block, a survey accomplished in one of many blocks within the district by the agriculture department has revealed.

The agriculture division has categorised the harm in 4 completely different classes. It has discovered that crop on 2,053 acres has been broken 75 to 100% whereas 2,508 acres has witnessed harm from 50 to 75%. The crop on 452 acres has witnessed 0 to 25% harm whereas round 858 acres witnessed 25 to 50% harm.

The agriculture division had managed to finish the survey in Nurpur Bedi block whereas the survey in Anandpur Sahib block is beneath manner and is predicted to be accomplished inside a subsequent few days. The officers within the division stated maize crop in 51 villages of Nurpur Bedi block was affected following the pest assault.

The samples of the pesticide utilized by farmers had already been taken and despatched for testing, however the studies are awaited.

Veer Singh, chief of Kirti Kisan Morcha stated, “The deputy commissioner assured us of ordering girdwari quickly. Each beneficial and non-recommended pesticides that have been utilized by farmers haven’t labored to regulate FAW on the maize crop that’s normally sown within the month of June. Some farmers had performed spray greater than seven occasions to regulate FAW in opposition to the advice of 1 or two sprays to kill FAW. The standard of pesticides used also needs to be checked and matter must be completely probed. It’s the responsibility of the agriculture division to maintain a verify on shopkeepers and sellers who’re supplying pesticides to farmers who’re harmless and unaware. It’s a well-known indisputable fact that these pesticide suppliers don’t give payments to the farmers and as an alternative compels them to buy some extra objects.”

Veer Singh revealed that the Maize crop is sown after the wheat crop is harvested. “A farmer incurs Rs 2000 to Rs 3000 as price of seed. In a single acre 8 kg seed is sown in an acre with a machine whereas round 12 kg seed is required for handbook sowing in an acre. Maize seed prices Rs 250 per kg. Roughly Rs 1200 is spent on DAP and Rs 1600 on weedicide which is sprayed after 20 days of sowing. Equally, Rs 500 is incurred on Urea whereas some farmers additionally spend on including zinc to their crops as a booster whereas insecticide is sprayed a few times. The MSP of Maize crop is Rs 1850 per quintal however there isn’t a authorities buy in Punjab. The non-public patrons buy the Maize yield for Rs 800 to Rs 1000 per quintal thus making loss to farmers.”