JEYPORE: After rains, farmers of Koraput district are now losing sleep over pest attack. As the paddy saplings remained inundated for nearly three weeks last month, the crops are now besieged by pest infestation.
Paddy cultivation in the current Kharif season was taken up on around one lakh acre in Jeypore, Borrigumma, Kundra and Kotpad from June to July this year and high yielding varieties like Lalat, 1001, 1010, MTU, Puja were planted. Although the saplings had grown well, they were damaged by rains and are now faced with pest attack.
According to reports, paddy crop in around 5,000 acre have already been damaged. While the crops in some areas are facing Rice Blast disease, pests like brown planthopper (BPH) have damaged crops in the rest of the areas. Most of the affected crops have turned yellow or brown. Pesticides are not available in the market at subsidised prices and not all farmers are able to purchase them from open market at `700 to `1,000 per litre. While Agriculture Department officials should have assessed the damage and sent report to the Collector for facilitating supply of pesticides at subsidised prices in Government run outlets, it has not been done. Farmers are now apprehensive of pest attack spreading to new areas and affecting crop yield. Members of pani panchayats have appealed the Collector to take urgent action on the issue.