Dharmapuri: Sugarcane crops in Harur and Morappur have been infected with white grub worms increasing worries of sugarcane farmers, reports The New Indian Express.
Farmers feel that the poor rainfall and the pest attack would lower the yield to 50% leading to huge losses.
S K Annadurai, treasurer, All Sugarcane Cultivators Association, said, “It is difficult to tackle grub worms and almost all the cane crops grown in the region are infected with this. On an average 30 tonnes of cane is produced in an acre but with pest attacks, it would reduce to half.”
“The worms feed on water content in the cane crop which leads to massive losses. We have invested a lot and loss in cane cultivation would increase our financial losses,” said a farmer from the region.
“The pest attack increases whenever there is lower rainfall and this is not new for the region. We have conducted an inspection and have issued instructions to control measures to prevent losses,” said R Priya, managing director of the Subramaniya Siva Cooperative Sugar Mill.
