BHAWANIPATNA: Pest attack has assumed an alarming proportion in Kalahandi district. The field report of Agriculture Department has pegged the paddy crop damage at 41,619 hectares (ha) and of this, crops in 18,000 ha have been damaged by brown planthopper (BPH) insect. Farmers, however, feel the actual damage is much more than what has been reflected in the official report.
Paddy crop is in ripe stage and farmers are preparing to harvest them within a fortnight. Pests like BPH, white black plant hopper (WBPH), stem borer, leaf folder, case worm, Gundhi bug and crop diseases like Blast, Sheath and Blight have been reported in different blocks. Incidence of crop damage due to BPH and WBPH is high.
There are 13 blocks in Kalahandi district and according to the field report of the department, except Thuamul Rampur block, crops in the remaining blocks have been affected. Golamunda, Dharamgarh, Junagarh, Kesinga, Bhawanipatna, Kalampur, Narla, Karlamunda, Koksara and M Rampur blocks are most affected. In Indravati irrigated pockets under Golamunda and Dharamgarh blocks, the pest infection is proportionately high.
Farmer leader, Kali Prasad Raiguru, said most of the affected areas are irrigated by Indravati and pest attack in such large proportion has been witnessed for the first time in the last two decades. There is an immediate need to control it, he said, adding that pesticides are not easily available. Farmers are apprehensive that if not controlled, pest attack might lead to crop loss.
Deputy Director of Agriculture, Kalahandi range, Prahalad Kumar Sahu said field officials have been kept on alert and directed to maintain surveillance on crop condition and initiate damage control measures to save the crops from pests. He informed that arrangements have been made to provide subsidised pesticides to affected farmers through SURAVI outlets of Odisha Agro Industries Corporation Limited and registered pesticide dealers in 12 blocks of the district.
Less coverage under crop insurance
Adding to the farmers’ woes is low enrolment in the multi-peril crop yield insurance scheme like the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) in the current Kharif season. Hardly 30 per cent of the farmers have been covered under the scheme this crop season.
The district has cultivable area of 3,87,221 ha out of which, paddy was cultivated in 1,85,383 ha this season. Under the NAIS, only 43,877 ha land of 46,825 loanee farmers and 3,525 ha of 3,035 non-loanee farmers have been covered. The cause behind low coverage is attributed to disinterest among farmers for undue delay in indemnity in the previous years, lack of awareness about it in some pockets and non-extension of last day (July 31) of application of crop insurance scheme.