Pest Challenge

Subject: Science and tech/ Economy

Context:

Farmers all over India are severely affected by pests.

Concept:

• The continuous onslaught of desert locusts swarms has ravaged his early-stage bajra crop. The pesky invaders from Iran and Pakistan have also seriously damaged moong and guar fields.
• As if the locust’s menace, which is the worst since 1993, is not bad enough, an infestation of fall army worm (FAW) is now wrecking the kharif crop in Rajasthan.
• While the locusts pose a threat to crops such as moong bean, pearl millet and cotton during their early stages, FAW is being mainly seen on maize.
• FAW, which first surfaced in kharif 2018 in Karnataka, is a threat in other maize-growing States like Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh as well.
• Although the government machinery has swung into action with drones and helicopters to combat the locust attack, agriculture experts want to declare it a disaster.
• The government should declare the locust attack as a natural disaster so that farmers get some compensation under the Pradhan MantriFasalBimaYojana (PMFBY)