Berhampur: After bearing the brunt of Covid-19 crisis, pest attack on standing paddy crops has emerged a huge cause of huge concern for farmers in Ganjam district.
As per reports, caseworms (Nali Poka or Patrakhia Poka) have damaged major portion of standing crops which were in growing stage in Pratappur, Kudutai, Gereda and some other panchayats under the Jagannathprasad block of the district.
Farmers suffering the pest attack say that the moth feasts by scraping leaf tissues or biting through leaf sheaths turning their green colour to yellow ultimately leaving the crops waste.
The affected farmers alleged as they were not provided pesticides and other chemicals at the right time by the concerned agriculture authorities due to which they are facing the pest attack now.
A farmer of Burapalli village under Pratappur panchayat of the block, Harihar Nayak said, “After facing numerous…