GUNTUR: Forum for Better Bapatla released a poster and planted saplings on the occasion of International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) at Bapatla in Guntur district on Monday. Agricultural College associate dean and principal Dr PV Krishnayya and forum secretary PC Sai Babu said that the United Nations proclaimed 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health.
“Up to 40 per cent of global food crops are lost annually due to plant pests nowadays. In terms of economic value, plant diseases alone cost the global economy around $220 billion annually and invasive insects around $70 billion. The IYPH is a key initiative to highlight the importance of plant health to enhance food security, protect the environment and boost economic growth,” the principal said.