Down To Earth visited villages on the West Bengal-Bangladesh border that have been struck by wheat blast. Here is a report on what is happening there
Wheat blast is a fast-acting and deadly fungal disease that threatens food safety and security in tropical areas of South America and South Asia. Wheat blast can damage the grain in less than a week from the development of the first symptoms, leaving farmers no time to act.
The fungus thrives in warm and humid regions, thereby posing a serious threat to wheat production. In 2016, it first entered Asia through Bangladesh and has impacted around 15,000 hectares of land in eight districts, reducing yield on average by as much as 51 per cent in the affected fields.
Since then, wheat blast has drawn increasing attention, considering its potentiality of further spreading to neighbouring countries namely, India, Pakistan, and China, which are all major wheat producers and where wheat is used as one of the major staple food crops for billions of inhabitants.
According to international scientists, the consequences of a wider outbreak in South Asia could be devastating to a region of 300 million malnourished people, whose inhabitants consume 100 million tonnes of wheat each year.
Crores of people can reach the brink of starvation due to this and in such a situation, efforts should be made to eliminate this pathogenic wheat blast before it is too late.
Down To Earth visited villages on the West Bengal-Bangladesh border which have been struck by wheat blast. Here is a report on what is happening there.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.