Jamalpur

Sugarcane farmers fear losses due to pest attack

Farmers in Dewanganj upazila fear losses in production of sugarcane due to pest attack this year.
According to sources, farmers in Dewanganj Zeal Bangla Sugar Mills zone area cultivated sugarcane on a vast tract of land this year. There are evidences of pest attack in sugarcane in areas of Muradabad, Kulkandi, Guthail, Jarultola, Dailypar, Mosharafganj and some chars (shoals).
Farmers said they have noticed the pest -- stem borer--, locally known as majra poka, is destroying sugarcane in the fields after the flood water
receded from the areas. There is no positive outcome despite use of some pesticides like Hapta, Furadan and Lorsban in the pest affected fields, they said adding the affected sugarcane plants are being dried up.  Farmers alleged that the mill authorities suggested them to cut off the affected portion to get rid of the problem.
Most of the sugarcane fields in West Moja Ata village and Pollakandi village in Islampur upazila of the district are found affected by the insects.
Sugarcane farmer Joynal Abedin in West Moja Ala village said with the recession of flood water recently the sugarcane in the fields came under pest attack. He said due to the attack it has started drying up. Motiur Rahman, another farmer of the village, said he had cultivated the crop on four bighas of land. Now, the pest attack has dashed his hope of making money from the cash crop.
Zeal Bangla Sugar Mills has November 20 for the start of sugarcane crushing season.
Farmer Md Fatu Faraji said many farmers gave up sugarcane farming after they suffered losses due to the pest attack last year, when he cultivated the crop on four bighas of land. Narrating the losses suffered from the pest attack farmer Joynal Abedin said he cultivated sugarcane on 18 bighas of land spending Tk110,000 last year. “But, due to crop loss by the pest attack I could sell sugarcane for only Tk 85,000. If we fail to stop such losses the farmers will turn away from sugarcane cultivation,” he added.
Md Abdur Rauf Khan, Managing Director of Zeal Bangla Sugar Mills Limited, said, “We have advised farmers to cut off the affected sugarcane as the pest live inside the plant, which pesticide cannot kill.” He said 10,500 acres of land came under sugarcane cultivation in the mill zone area with a production target of 120,000 tonnes.

Jamalpur

Sugarcane farmers fear losses due to pest attack

Farmers in Dewanganj upazila fear losses in production of sugarcane due to pest attack this year. According to sources, farmers in Dewanganj Zeal Bangla Sugar Mills zone area cultivated sugarcane on a vast tract of land this year. There are evidences of pest attack in sugarcane in areas of Muradabad, Kulkandi, Guthail, Jarultola, Dailypar, Mosharafganj and some chars (shoals). Farmers said they have noticed the pest -- stem borer--, locally known as majra poka, is destroying sugarcane in the fields after the flood water receded from the areas. There is no positive outcome despite use of some pesticides like Hapta, Furadan and Lorsban in the pest affected fields, they said adding the affected sugarcane plants are being dried up. Farmers alleged that the mill authorities suggested them to cut off the affected portion to get rid of the problem. Most of the sugarcane fields in West Moja Ata village and Pollakandi village in Islampur upazila of the district are found affected by the insects. Sugarcane farmer Joynal Abedin in West Moja Ala village said with the recession of flood water recently the sugarcane in the fields came under pest attack. He said due to the attack it has started drying up. Motiur Rahman, another farmer of the village, said he had cultivated the crop on four bighas of land. Now, the pest attack has dashed his hope of making money from the cash crop. Zeal Bangla Sugar Mills has November 20 for the start of sugarcane crushing season. Farmer Md Fatu Faraji said many farmers gave up sugarcane farming after they suffered losses due to the pest attack last year, when he cultivated the crop on four bighas of land. Narrating the losses suffered from the pest attack farmer Joynal Abedin said he cultivated sugarcane on 18 bighas of land spending Tk110,000 last year. But, due to crop loss by the pest attack I could sell sugarcane for only Tk 85,000. If we fail to stop such losses the farmers will turn away from sugarcane cultivation, he added. Md Abdur Rauf Khan, Managing Director of Zeal Bangla Sugar Mills Limited, said, We have advised farmers to cut off the affected sugarcane as the pest live inside the plant, which pesticide cannot kill. He said 10,500 acres of land came under sugarcane cultivation in the mill zone area with a production target of 120,000 tonnes.