Following reports of crop attack by fall armyworm (FAW) pest from various parts of the State, agriculture & cooperation minister G Kaito Aye has assured farmers of the state government’s commitment to their welfare by providing all assistance in the challenging moment.
Aye said it was unfortunate that farmers of Nagaland were facing the threat of the pest attack, and called for remaining alert both on the part of government agencies and the agricultural community to deal with the menace. He appealed for a concerted effort by employing technology and adopting timely, effective and innovative measures to ensure minimum damage.
He warned that a FAW attack could cause huge damage to crops and reduce yield which could be devastating, particularly for small farmers as it directly impacts their livelihood. He pointed out that Mizoram and Manipur have largely been affected by the deadly pest.
The minister said that the agriculture department and agricultural agencies and various units of the State government were already on a high alert and working relentlessly to creating awareness and training farmers to mitigate the loss to crops.
Aye said he had personally conducted meetings with officials of the department and asked them to keep him updated on the course of action being taken.
Further, he assured that the department was keeping track of technological innovations and digital tools being developed to ensure timely and context-specific information to enable farmers to track, spot and treat the FAW pest.
He also said the department and other government agencies were conducting regular training camps to create awareness among farmers, besides conducting field Inspections to identify areas of infestation. Aye urged farmers to cooperate with officials of the department and other agricultural agencies and units in making a concerted effort to contain the massive outbreak.
He also called upon the farmers to take advantage of technical camps being organised for their benefit and employ scientific methods to battle the FAW invasion. Aye urged farmers to regularly scout the fields and plantations and immediately report any signs of pest infestation and crop damage to the nearest officials.