KOCHI: Farmers in Ernakulam district's vegetable and banana growing areas are staring at the prospects of losing more than 40 per cent of their crop to rampant pest attacks and unseasonal rain.
An initial assessment by a quasi-governmental body shows that only around 10,000 tonnes of vegetables and bananas are likely to reach the market in the coming months up to April from the standing crop in an area of around 1,800 hectares.
Without the unseasonal rain and pest attacks the harvest would have been up to 27,000 tonnes, said the survey.
Around 900 hectares that came under new crops face the same fate as the standing crop area because of the rain and pest attacks.
In the Piravom area around 350 hectares are under vegetable and banana cultivation and only around 2,100 tonnes of produce are expected to reach the market against an originally expected production of 5,250 tonnes.
Survey report
The survey reported farmers blaming uncontrolled filling of paddy fields and low-lying areas for the water logging that hit several hundreds of hectares under banana and vegetable cultivation.
Heavy rain resulted in water logging, which triggered bacterial attacks in vegetables and banana plants. The new season that started early October was the worst hit, the report pointed out as it said that some of the farmers had to sow seeds three to four times to see the sprouts.
Bacterial disease
Bacterial disease like Rhizome rot in bananas; caterpillars in bitter gourd plantations and fungal attacks like Anthrocnose in cowpea were the major villains that the farmers faced. Their efforts to combat the diseases failed as continuing rain reduced the efficacy of pesticides.
Hundreds of hectares in the Kakkad area fell victim to pest attacks. The area was witness to unprecedented attacks of sucking pests like hoppers, jassids and ephids. Here too pesticides did not work effectively to combat the pests.
The extensive crop loss, pest attacks and soaring price of vegetables may force farmers to increase pesticide use, field scientists in the district have warned.
Source: The Hindu, 19-12-2010
An initial assessment by a quasi-governmental body shows that only around 10,000 tonnes of vegetables and bananas are likely to reach the market in the coming months up to April from the standing crop in an area of around 1,800 hectares.
Without the unseasonal rain and pest attacks the harvest would have been up to 27,000 tonnes, said the survey.
Around 900 hectares that came under new crops face the same fate as the standing crop area because of the rain and pest attacks.
In the Piravom area around 350 hectares are under vegetable and banana cultivation and only around 2,100 tonnes of produce are expected to reach the market against an originally expected production of 5,250 tonnes.
Survey report
The survey reported farmers blaming uncontrolled filling of paddy fields and low-lying areas for the water logging that hit several hundreds of hectares under banana and vegetable cultivation.
Heavy rain resulted in water logging, which triggered bacterial attacks in vegetables and banana plants. The new season that started early October was the worst hit, the report pointed out as it said that some of the farmers had to sow seeds three to four times to see the sprouts.
Bacterial disease
Bacterial disease like Rhizome rot in bananas; caterpillars in bitter gourd plantations and fungal attacks like Anthrocnose in cowpea were the major villains that the farmers faced. Their efforts to combat the diseases failed as continuing rain reduced the efficacy of pesticides.
Hundreds of hectares in the Kakkad area fell victim to pest attacks. The area was witness to unprecedented attacks of sucking pests like hoppers, jassids and ephids. Here too pesticides did not work effectively to combat the pests.
The extensive crop loss, pest attacks and soaring price of vegetables may force farmers to increase pesticide use, field scientists in the district have warned.
Source: The Hindu, 19-12-2010
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