JEYPORE: After being hit by shortage of fertilisers, farmers of Jeypore region are now facing a new challenge of curbing pest menace. As per reports, crops over 1,000 acres have been damaged by pests.Farmers of Jeypore, Borrigumma, Kundra, Kotpad and Boipariguda blocks had cultivated high yielding variety of paddy in June and July and the crops are now in growing stage. However, due to pest attack, the crops are turning yellow. The continuous rain has only aggravated the situation. The affected farmers lamented that cost of a litre of pesticide varies from ` 600 to ` 800 and they cannot afford to buy the pesticides at this stage. Earlier, the district administration was supplying subsidised pesticides through government outlets, but this year no such arrangement has been made. “We have already suffered from distress sales and erratic rainfall. We have no money for pesticides now,” said J Ramesh, a farmer of Bamunigam. District agriculture department official said no funds had been allotted to them for providing subsidised pesticides to farmers this year. Under these circumstances, pani panchayats under the Upper Kolab ayacut areas have appealed to the State Government to allot funds to the district agriculture office so that subsidised pesticides can reach farmers at the right time.
Comments
0 comment