BARDIYA, JULY 14
Fall armyworm has infested maize crops in Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality, Bardiya. The outbreak was seen in wards 3, 4, and 5 of Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality.
Maize crops cultivated in hundreds of bighas of land in places such as Sorahawa village in Badhaiyatal, Butaha, Dakshin Bhakari and Mankinar of ward 4 of Badhaiyatal, and Fulbari of ward 5 of Badhaiyataal have come under attack of fall armyworm, locally called fauji keera.
According to farmer Sangita Tharu of Butaha village, half of the maize crops in her field have been damaged by armyworm.
"The outbreak at a time when the crops are ready to bear fruit has got farmers distraught," she said, adding that though the agriculture section of the rural municipality has been informed about the outbreak nothing has happened so far to stop the outbreak.
Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality agriculture section Chief Dipendra Shreebastav disavowed any knowledge about the armyworm's outbreak.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 15 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
