Jammu’s Kandi area badly hit
Grasshopper swarm destroys 60 pc maize crop
BRIJESH CHALOTRA
JAMMU, Sep 2: Around 60 percent crop of maize and millet has been destroyed by the grasshopper swarm in arid (Kandi) areas of Jammu region.
Despite the efforts being made by agriculture department, various schemes and awareness camps launched by the department, this annual menace continues to wreak havoc in the fields thus adding to the woes of farmer community.
Farmer Bashir Ahmed of Raya Suchaini village informed that the strength of grasshopper swarm is increasing with each passing day which has destroyed mainly maize and millet crops. He claimed that within few days, the number of grasshoppers has reached to millions.
“The grasshopper swarm has destroyed many acres of standing crop,” Ahmed said adding that the farmers had sounded the agriculture department officials about the threat several times but no initiative was taken well on time to tackle the crisis.
Another farmer Ram Lal of Rajool village, which falls under Purmandal block, claimed that the pesticides given by agriculture department are not effective against the swarm of grasshoppers. “We’ve incurred a loss of around 800 acres of standing crop in our village on account of grasshopper attack,” he informed. “The attack of grasshoppers on standing crop has shattered all our hopes. Being the arid area, we can sow only one crop in a season due to non availability of water for irrigation. Maize is the major crop for Kandi farmers – the backbone of our economy but this grasshopper swarm has totally ruined us,” he lamented.
Sushil Bhagat maintained that the crop as well as grass affected by the grasshopper attack is not consumed even by the livestock. “In some cases where this affected crop or grass was used as fodder, the animals fell ill after its consumption,” he alleged.
The farmers of other areas viz., Badodi, Raya, Suchani, Meen Sarkar, Meen Charka, Mokodewali, Badikhad, Mandal, Rajool and other adjoining villages also are faced with the similar crisis. They have urged the agriculture department to assess the losses and provide them with adequate relief and compensation for the destroyed crop in the grasshopper attack.
Director Agriculture department Ajay Sharma however claimed that the department has launched a drive to minimise the destruction caused by grasshoppers. He added, “To create awareness among the farmers, the department is also organizing camps and meetings for the farmers besides teams by Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) were also sent to make the farmers aware about this threat.”