Rattled by reports of swarm of locusts damaging crops in some States, agriculture and horticulture department officials in the State have begun consulting scientists and experts to devise a defensive strategy.
Special Commissioner (Agriculture) H. Arun Kumar told The Hindu on Thursday that there have been no incidents of crickets damaging crops in the State in the last few decades. However, as the problem was acute in some neighbouring States, the government was focusing on the issue, he said.
“We represented the matter to Acharya N.G. Ranga Agriculture University (ANGRAU), agriculture scientists and experts and asked them to suggest methods to prevent crop loss in the event of locust swarms entering the State,” Mr. Arun Kumar said.
‘It’s a question of timing’
“Paddy, maize, jowar, bengal gram, black gram and groundnut are the major crops in the State besides horticulture crops. We need to take damage control steps only if locust swarms enter neighbouring States such as Telangana and Tamil Nadu,” said Sk. Hussain, a farmer of Vanukuru in Krishna district.
Mr. Hussain said crop loss would be heavy in coastal districts if locusts enter the State during the monsoon season.
“Already we have suffered huge losses due to COVID-19 and now the news of crickets attacking crops is creating panic us. We request the government to take preventive measures,” said another farmer, Sabba Nageswara Rao of Vuyyuru.
