Fall Armyworm outbreak wreaks havoc on maize crop in Udhampur

The Fall Armyworm pest has wreaked havoc on the maize crops in Udhampur’s Mansar panchayat, causing huge losses to farmers in the district.

The Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a polyphagous insect that feeds mainly on maize and more than 80 other crops, including wheat, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton. FAW is a global threat to food security, impacting food production and rural livelihoods.

Chief Agricultural Officer Harbans Singh stated that the effect of the Fall Armyworm on the crop was also the result of the late sowing of the crop. He advised farmers to sow their crops early, further stating that pesticides had been spread on 3,000 hectares of land to prevent any further infestation.

“Maize is cultivated across 26,000 hectares in the district. Fall Armyworm has been infesting here for 2-3 years, primarily due to the late sowing of the crop. I would hence advise early sowing of crops. Nearly 3,000 hectares have been infested, and our teams are going into the field for investigation. We are spreading information on the pesticide and measures for preventing infestation” Singh said.

Maize farmer Karnail Singh expressed his plight on the loss of the crop and appealed to the government to conduct an inquiry into the situation. “Most of our crops have been destroyed by worms. The government should conduct an inquiry on why this is happening. Our income will be affected by this much destruction” Singh said.

J & K