Amon yield to miss target by 4,800 tonnes in Kishoreganj
Massive pest attack due to damp weather after Sidr, AED officials said
Amon production in Kishoreganj may be around 4,800 tons less than the target this year due to flood followed by a massive pest attack.
The crop on over 3000 acres were affected by pest attack, mainly caterpillar, which now mow down almost ready-for-harvest paddy in six upazilas of the district, according to sources in Agriculture Extension Department (AED).
The production target was fixed at 2,54,932 tonnes from 63,733 hectors in the district, they said.
Farmers cannot use insecticide in their paddy fields as it is not safe to use the poisonous medicines in paddy which will be harvested within 7 to 10 days, farmers and AED sources said.
Damp weather caused by the devastating November 15 Sidr that lashed costal areas few days ago helped breed the pests including caterpillar in Amon fields, said Amol Kanti Bhoumik, sub-assistant plant production officer at Kishoreganj AED office.
The storm also damaged crops on 1500 acres in the district. After strong winds and shower, the weather remained damp for about 10 days, creating a congenial atmosphere for pests to thrive on paddy plants, Bhoumik said.
“If insecticide is used in Aman fields now, it will create health hazard”, he said.
The agriculture scientist said during day time, caterpillars remain at the bottom of paddy plants due to sunshine and climb to the sheaf when the sunshine disappears. A damp weather without sunshine creates a favourable situation for them to breed and cut the sheaf, Bhoumik said. Spraying insecticides during day time is not effective in controlling caterpillars and other pests which cut paddy shaves.
He said, earlier it was seen that pests like caterpillar were destroyed when paddy fields were inundated. “We advised farmers to lay down paddy plants into water if there was pest attack”.
But it is an exception this year. The pests did not disappear despite inundation of fields, Bhoumik said.
“Failing to control the pest attack, we are advising farmers to harvest paddy though they are not fully ready”, he said. In many areas, 30 to 40 percent of the paddy is yet to ripe fully, he added.
The situation is the same in all the six upazilas-- Kishoreganj Sadar, Karimganj, Tarail, Hossainpur, Katiadi and Bajitpur-- AED office sources said.
During a visit to some affected areas, farmers told this correspondent that they were harvesting paddy ahead of time but the percentage of grain bearing paddy is less this year.
Sufi Miah of Dhakia village in Hossainpur upazila said he would not be able to pay labourers and bank loan as the yield may be at least 40 percent less than usual. Paddy cultivation has become costly due to high price of fertiliser, he added.
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