ENVIS Centre, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Govt. of India

Printed Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024

Latest News

Archive

Ukhrul farmers in distress as fall army worm destroy crops

 Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, April 27 2022: Farmers in Kazipphung locality of Hungpung village in Ukhrul district have been left grappling with huge losses after fall army worms (Spodoptera exempta) destroyed their standing crops over the past few days.

According to the village farmers, they had never experienced such a huge number of worms invading their farms and destroying the standing crops in an alarming way.

They said that they came to know the name of the worm after subject experts identified it as fall army worm during a one-day farmers' interaction programme held on Tuesday.

The farmers, who are facing huge crop losses due to the worm infestation, appealed to the authorities concerned to look into the matter and understand the grim situation in which they are in today.

While the worms could be seen in other farming locations, one particular farm site known as Phungrei located about 1 km from the village habitation, has been worst affected by the worm invasion.

This is the farm site where majority of local farmers grow their major vegetable crops like potatoes, beans, corn and cabbage.

The worms have attacked and cleared vast swaths of the farm, they said.

KS Chuihaola, a local female farmer, said that destruction of the major crops by the worms has left them very worried about the huge losses they would be facing this year.

"We are very worried that there will be no harvest this year.

This has, all of a sudden, taken the fruit of our months of hard labour", she lamented.

The worms are said to be sweeping the farmlands, though the farmers could not ascertain the exact size of the areas affected by the worm.

"The number of the worms is so large that they could be found everywhere in the farm areas and on the road leading to the farms," a local said.