Farmers in Belauri Municipality-8 have been worried over the disease in sugarcane planted in 60 bighas of land.
The disease was witnessed in the water-logged field, said chief of agriculture section of the municipality, Suman Raj Bhatta. “The sugarcane planted in more than 15 bighas of land has been destroyed by the red rot,” he added.
The sugarcane has suffered from red rot disease- cane getting interrupted red and white patches within it which emanates putrid maladour once it is split. Fungus causes this disease.
Bhatta further said the disease has destroyed the sugarcane from 10 to 80 percent. The disease is mostly observed in CO-238 and CO-208 species of sugarcane. He also informed that red rot is like a cancer.
However, efforts are underway to provide anti-fungus pesticide. Even the sugar mills are joining hands to provide medicine to the farmers.
Sugarcane farmer Karmu Rana shared the plight that red rot had destroyed the crop. “Most of the sugarcane grown in five bighas of land was diseased. I’m now engaged in spraying the pesticide that controls fungus, he informed.
Another farmer Bhamta Rana also mentioned similar story. The sugarcane in one bighas out of three bighas of land was totally damaged. “I had done sugarcane farming by taking loan. But the disease caused the loss of Rs 300 thousand,” he shared misery.
In total, the farmers have so far incurred the loss of Rs 5 million. Agricultural technician at the municipality, Harish Sethi said the symptoms of the red rot disease are seen from mid June and if treatment measure is not taken on time, it decays the can inside.
Eighty percent farmers from Belauri are growing sugarcane. (RSS)
