Visakhapatnam: Pests attack mango and cashew orchards

VISAKHAPATNAM: Even as farmers across the state try to brave the lockdown that has posed difficulties for them such as lack of labour and shutting down of markets, pest infestation has added to their woes as they struggle to save their crops.
K Sailaja of the horticulture department, Visakhapatnam, said, “These are common seasonal pests and are not new.”
Mango and cashew are the chief orchard crops in the north coastal region and both have been attacked by pests, with farmers and orchard lease holders watching helplessly.While mangoes are being attacked by borer insects, cashew orchards (mainly the Bapatla variety) are infested by long worms.
Orchard cultivators are trying to pick fruits that are still unaffected by pests, but they are finding it difficult due to lack of labour. “The non-availability of labour has proved to be a curse for us as picking all fruits before they are eaten by pests is a herculean task,” said Ch Raju, a farmer from Bheemaboyinapalem village in Narsipatnam.
Latcha Reddy, a trader from the Tuni market, said, “The situation is so bad that even if the lockdown is lifted, damage control will be limited. In fact, most lease holders, who are actually traders, have given up hopes of harvesting their fruits this year.”
Senior sources in the department said that the fruit borer is a major pest in Odisha, West Bengal and coastal AP and are active from January to May. They added that fenthion spray can be used to control its spread at an early stage.