Interviews
Disease wipes out cotton crop in 4 Maharashtra villages
25 Aug '15
2 min read
There's more trouble for over 150 farmers in Maharashtra. Over 600 acres of standing cotton crop has suddenly withered away in four villages in the Painganga river basin of Korpana tehsil in the state due to an unknown fungal infection, according to media reports.
Agriculture officers claimed that the prolonged dry spell and variation in heat has led to a fungal infection in the roots of the cotton plants, leading to complete destruction of crop in the affected area. The Shetkari Sanghatna has demanded immediate compensation, waiver of loans and other measures to ensure that the affected farmers do not take extreme steps like suicide.
A team of the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) are scheduled to visit the plantations this week to inspect the damage.
Shetkari Sanghatana leader and former MLA Wamanrao Chatap claimed that the unknown disease destroyed BT cotton in more than 600 acres of farms belonging to around 150 farmers in Borgaon (Irai), Irai (Borgaon), Sonurli (Gadegaon) and Wirur (Gadegaon).
He claimed there were no pests and no visible signs of any other infections on the crop. The disease turns the cotton plants' stems turn pinkish red before the leaves fall off the plants die, he said.
He said that BT cotton seeds were sown on time and the required rounds of fertilisers and pesticides were used by farmers as per schedule according to the prescribed method, but their hopes of getting a good yield has been shattered.
Around 80 farmers from Borgaon (Irai), who sowed cotton crop in around 200 acres, are the worst affected lot and they suffered 100 per cent destruction, while farmers from other villages suffered 50 per cent losses.
He urged the state government to compensate these farmers by paying Rs 6,800 per acre, as per rules.
Chatap said that since there is no scope to sow again, the state government should make provisions to provide seeds for Rabi crops to ensure that these farmers survive the loss. (SH)
Agriculture officers claimed that the prolonged dry spell and variation in heat has led to a fungal infection in the roots of the cotton plants, leading to complete destruction of crop in the affected area. The Shetkari Sanghatna has demanded immediate compensation, waiver of loans and other measures to ensure that the affected farmers do not take extreme steps like suicide.
A team of the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) are scheduled to visit the plantations this week to inspect the damage.
Shetkari Sanghatana leader and former MLA Wamanrao Chatap claimed that the unknown disease destroyed BT cotton in more than 600 acres of farms belonging to around 150 farmers in Borgaon (Irai), Irai (Borgaon), Sonurli (Gadegaon) and Wirur (Gadegaon).
He claimed there were no pests and no visible signs of any other infections on the crop. The disease turns the cotton plants' stems turn pinkish red before the leaves fall off the plants die, he said.
He said that BT cotton seeds were sown on time and the required rounds of fertilisers and pesticides were used by farmers as per schedule according to the prescribed method, but their hopes of getting a good yield has been shattered.
Around 80 farmers from Borgaon (Irai), who sowed cotton crop in around 200 acres, are the worst affected lot and they suffered 100 per cent destruction, while farmers from other villages suffered 50 per cent losses.
He urged the state government to compensate these farmers by paying Rs 6,800 per acre, as per rules.
Chatap said that since there is no scope to sow again, the state government should make provisions to provide seeds for Rabi crops to ensure that these farmers survive the loss. (SH)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India
Popular News
Leave your Comments
Editor’s Pick
Therese Premler-Andersson
Textile Machinery Association of Sweden (TMAS)
Anita Dongre & Yash Dongre
House of Anita Dongre Limited
Esteemed Clients
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
