Dugh Chinna, Jammu, March 3
Besides militants, deadly crop diseases also infiltrate into India from Pakistan. And this time, an airborne disease from across the border has hit the standing wheat crop badly in boder villages in this district.
Yellow rust disease, as the agricultural scientists call it, has damaged the entire wheat and mustard crops on over 6,000 acres in 15 villages in the district.
It was after many years that farmers were happy at the prospects of a good crop, but now they have suffered huge losses. The crops are usually damaged in shelling, mine blasts, militant activities, but have never confronted such a disease.
The repayment of loans to banks and private agencies is compounding their problems. The government has not assured them of any help so far.
When the wheat crop ripens, earth virtually looks golden. But this disease has rendered the plant yellow. The growth of the crop has stopped. Even cobs developed to house grains have been rendered useless. Only yellow powder falls when the cobs are inspected.
The affected villages are Nanga, Rangoor, Jard Avtal, Nandpur, Brahmna, Chak Glotra, Chak Jwar, Jerdad, Paradey, Narainpur, Fatwal, Jasso-Chak and SM Pura, all in this border district.
“Yellow rust first hit the crops across the border. It is an airborne fungus disease and fungicide like Disen M45, Tropiconazol could be used to check the disease, though only in initial stages,” said RR Jaat, assistant director, Research, Department of Plants Pathology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.
Aghast farmers told the Tribune
team that they used different pesticides recommended by the Department of Agriculture, but they proved useless.
“All pesticides have proved ineffective as the effect of the disease is growing by the day. Now, the plants are drying and even cattle are not eating the crop,” revealed Saudagar Singh of Dugh Channi village. His wheat crop on 45 acres has been completely damaged.
Farmers have so far used fungicides like Stargem-45, Tilt 25 EC, Encore-Meteribuzin herbicide and Propimonozol, but they have so far failed to check the spread of the disease.
The farmers have given up all hope. “I have stopped watering the crop. It is of no use,” Saudagar said, while breaking down.
The farmers are so depressed that they don’t know how they will feed their families throughout the year due to the crop failure. Some are desperate.
“If the government does not compensate us for the loss, debt-ridden farmers could be forced to commit suicide,” threatened Santokh Singh of Chamyal village, whose crop on 360 kanals has been damaged.
“Village elders have told us that such a thing has happened for the first time in our village,” he added.
The farmers maintain that they have spent Rs 5,500 on crop cultivation every eight kanals. “Though government officials have visited the area, we are not sure whether we will get any compensation or not,” he said.
Ashwani Kaul, sub-divisional agriculture officer, RS Pura, said as per reports reaching his office the situation was grim. “We have tried our best to help the farmers. We are in touch with the scientists also. The variation in temperatures is helping the virus to spread.”
