An insect attack on Aman rice has left farmers in Pirgachha, Rangpur, at a loss. Farmers call the pest "current poka", a local name; repeated spraying is not working, and they fear the ripe and half-ripe crop will fail. They also complain that agriculture officers are not in the fields at this critical time because they are busy with a survey for farmer cards.
The attack has appeared in rice fields at Pratap Joysen in Annadanagar union and at Bhardob, Chakchakar Dola and Kumarpara in the Sadar union, among other places. Farmers say several rounds of pesticide on the affected land have failed to bring the pest under control.
Sufia, a woman farmer at Pratap Joysen, said she has sprayed her field five times and the attack is still not under control, and that no agriculture officer has visited or advised her. Abul Khayer of the same area has had about eight dons of Aman rice damaged; his wife, Minara Begum, said repeated spraying has not saved the crop and the agriculture office has not helped them.
Farmers allege that sub-assistant agriculture officers in several blocks are not visiting the fields and are hard to reach because of the farmer-card survey. They spent more than usual on fertiliser, seed, pesticide and labour, and coped with shortages and high prices of fertiliser and potash, to grow the Aman crop. Now, just before harvest, the insect attack has put that investment at risk.
Farmers fear Aman output could fall sharply if the attack is not controlled quickly, leaving them unable to recover their costs. They have asked the agriculture department to step in urgently: to inspect affected fields, identify the pest and advise on effective control.
Upazila agriculture officer Nilufa Yasmin said farmers have been given the necessary advice, leaflets have been distributed and the correct way to apply pesticide has been explained. In her account, the chemical must be applied at the base of the plants, and farmers who spray the tops of the rice will not get results. She said she had called farmers from their homes in parts of Annadanagar union to advise them.
This report is based on an Agricare24 desk report drawn from Ajker Patrika.
Source: Agricare24
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