KHOTANG: An unidentified pest has destroyed the ready-to-harvest millet crops in Khotang district.

An insect, which is green coffee-colour and light red in colour, has damaged the millet crops planted in hundreds of hectors of land in the district.

Local farmers of Bopung, Kahule, Bhanjechyandanda, Nerpa, Dorpa, Diktel, Kharmi, Jalapa and Hauchur have been hard hit by this unknown bug which was seen just few days ago.

Farmers said that they saw around three to four pests in every millet stalk.

Raj Kumar Basnet, Secretary at the SinghaDevi Krishi Samuha in Bopung said the insect frequently moves from one millet stalk to the other.

He further said the farmers have been worried as they have not been able to harvest the millets crops.

Senior Agriculture Development Officer Shyam Parsad Ghimire suspected the unknown pest might be the helicoverpa.

Around 25,000 metric tonnes of millet are produced in the district every year.