Armyworms wreaking havoc

Nepalgunj, October 13

Farmers are worried after armyworms destroyed paddy crops in Banke.

According to Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Nepalgunj, the armyworms have destroyed paddy crops grown over 300 hectare land in the past five days. The insects have damaged paddy crop in wards 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of Banke’s Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality, wards 4, 5 and 6 of Duduwa Rural Municipality and in Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City-19, said AKC Nepalgunj Chief Sagar Dhakal.

Farmers have been pleading with AKC and the local levels to help prevent destruction of ripened paddy crops. AKC and the local levels put in their efforts to protect the crops, but to no avail.

The centre said the outbreak of armyworms had spread in some places of Bardiya as well. The centre had allocated Rs 30,000 to buy pesticides for Banke and Rs 20,000 for Bardiya to kill the insects, said Dhakal.