Chandrapur: Farmers of Dangasorada panchayat under Chandrapur block in Rayagada district have alleged that millet crops in more than seven acres of farmland are affected due to pest attack. Farmers expected that the agricultural department would come up with pesticides to prevent such pest attacks as in past such attacks have always happened. But, the department has remained nonchalant about it.
After receiving complaints from millet cultivators about the damage caused to the crops by some unknown bugs, the officials of a foundation visited the block. Neem oil was distributed by the officials among the farmers to kill the insects but the oil was not effective on the worms resulting in large-scale damage of millet cultivation in the region.
A farmer Dillip Parichha said, “At first, we had to struggle with deficit rainfall and now these new types of pests are threatening our crops. We have been given some oil by the foundation members but that is not proving effective.”
With no departmental help, the farmers are forced to buy costly pesticides to kill the unknown pests in their farmland.
Farmer Bisu Bredeka said that they have borrowed from private money lenders and banks for paddy cultivation but it seems that their hopes “are being dashed now” with the pest menace.
When an official of Dangasorda Agricultural department Rajani Mishra was asked about this, he replied, “Till now no pesticide for millet pest control has been provided to the department by the state government. So, we are unable to distribute pesticides to the farmers in the block.”
It may be mentioned here that under state government’s scheme, pesticides should be distributed to farmers at subsidised rates but it has not been the case here.
“If the situation persists, how we will manage our livelihoods?” rued another farmer, Vijayananda Das.
“The pests attack the crops in growing stages and eat up the buds,” said another farmer Kisu.
The farmers and locals urged the government and agricultural department to provide effective pesticides for millet pest control.
PNN