Balia: Damage to standing paddy crop due to bacterial leaf blight (BLB) disease in few areas in Balia block of Jagatsinghapur district has emerged as a cause of huge concern for farmers.
Field officer of Agricultural Department in Balia block Rudranaryan Mohanty said that standing crop paddy in more than ten panchyats of the block have been affected due to leaf blight disease.
“We had given pesticides to the farmers to control the disease, however, the pesticide had put no effect on the bacteria,” added he.
Mohanty further said that we have urged the state government to provide some effective pesticides to the farmers so that they will work properly to control the disease.
According to farmers, paddies comprising high yielding, hybrid and local varities have been cultivated over 100 acers of farmlands in the block. The farmers have spent more than Rs 20,000 per acre of farmland.
The farmers alleged that they had borrowed money from the money lenders for the 2020 Rabi season. How they will return the loan money to the money lenders is the main concern for the farmers of the block, lamented Naryan Parida, a farmer.
Some other farmers of the area said that they had lost 50 per cent of their crop after the bacteria attack. Hopes of a good harvest this year are gradually vanishing, alleged the farmers.
The farmers demanded compensation from the state government for 2020 Rabi crop loss.
PNN