Pest attack worry for farmers in Bargarh

BARGARH: Damage to standing paddy crop due to pest attack in a few areas of the district has emerged a cause of huge concern for farmers. Chief district agriculture officer, Bargarh Dinabandhu Gandhi said standing paddy over around 100 hectare land has been affected by bacterial leaf blight disease, caseworm and stem borer pests in Manapara and Larambha villages in Attabira and Kalpani in Bargarh block of the district. 

He said officials of Agriculture department along with those from Krushi Vigyan Kendra, Bargarh had visited the villages. During their interaction with the affected farmers, the officials came to know that the crop damage was caused by caseworm and stem borer pests and bacterial leaf blight. 

While caseworm damages the leaf of the paddy plant, stem borer damages its stem. Bacterial leaf blight affects both the leaves and stem of paddy plants. Gandhi said at present the pest attack and the disease are the initial stage. “We have already sensitised the farmers on use of pesticide and bactericide to save their crops,” he said. 

As per official reports, paddy comprising high yielding, hybrid and local varieties have been cultivated over 2,49,205 hectare land in the district during the current kharif season. The district had produced 11, 57,397 MT paddy from 2,52,581 hectare land during the last kharif season.