Govt drive to sensitise farmers against crop burning

BHUBANESWAR: After a series of suicides by farmers and burning of pest-damaged crops, the State Government on Sunday directed the District Collectors to intensify awareness drives in the affected areas to sensitise farmers against the ill effects of torching standing crops.

Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan, who reviewed the drought and pest attack on paddy crops at a high-level meeting here, gave this direction to the Collectors through video conferencing.

The District Collectors were asked to involve farmers’ groups, joint liability groups, producers’ groups, women self-help groups, representatives of panchayati raj institutions, field staff of Agriculture department, representatives of Krishi Vikas Kendras and officials of Cooperation department in the awareness drives. “The most important thing at this point of time is to create awareness among farmers about adverse effect of setting the standing crops on fire,” Balakrishnan told reporters after the meeting.

He said the District Collectors have been asked to arrange farmers’ meetings at village and panchayat levels on November 6 and 7. The farmers should be advised against burning the standing crops as insects from the affected areas will spread to nearby crop fields. Besides, this adversely affects the soil health and fertility.

For coordinating this awareness programmes, a nodal officer will be appointed in the affected districts. With reports of availability of substandard, spurious and counterfeit pesticides in the market, which apart from failing to check the pest attack, cause crop loss and damage to soil fertility, Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Sourav Garg directed the Collectors to strictly enforce the Insecticide Act and take stringent action against those marketing adulterated products.

Official sources said use of spurious pesticides has come to the notice in Sambalpur and the licence of the retailer concerned has been cancelled.

Garg said the department has opened a control room to address the problems of the farmers who can contact on two numbers - 18001801551 (from 6 am to 10 pm) and 0674-6530653 (from 10 am to 5 pm). Special Relief Commissioner B P Sethi told the Collectors to provide relief measures to the drought-hit farmers within a week. He said the State Government has released `216 crore for drought assistance.

Meanwhile, crops in nearly 1, 78,932 hectares of agricultural land have been affected by pest menace in nine districts in Odisha.  As per the SRC, standing crops in 8,211 villages of 92 blocks and 19 urban local bodies have been affected by the pests in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Nuapada, Sonepur, Balangir, Ganjam, Kalahandi and Koraput districts. There has been 33 to 50 per cent crop loss in nearly 1.10 lakh hectares of land.