Rajahmundry: Awareness drive to tackle pest on maize

Rajahmundry: The agriculture authorities have launched a programme to create awareness among the farmers about the measures to be taken up to tackle pests on maize and other crops here on Wednesday.

Agriculture additional director J. Ravi Kumar, addressing the farmers, agriculture field staff and dealers of pesticides, said that they have planned a series of measures  to tackle the pest ‘Fall Army Worm’ as it was affecting maize crop across the state.

He said that the pest was found on maize crop for the first time in Africa in 2016 and later it was noticed in Karnataka in 2018. In August, 2018, it was noticed at Annasamudram village near Tripuranthakam in AP. 

The pest has been causing much damage and loss to the maize crop in AP and so a series of workshops and awareness programmes are being held to help farmers save the crop. Scientists are also trying to find ways to check it effectively, he said. 

He said that awareness programmes for farmers on preventive measures to tackle the pest were  held in 9 districts in the state so far.

The agriculture department asked the state government to sanction Rs 112 crore for various purposes, he said, adding that the farmers would be given pesticide on 50 per cent subsidy to kill this pest.

East Godavari agriculture joint director K.V.S Prasad said that maize crop was being raised in about 11,000 acres and of this, crop in 560 acres was damaged.