High Alert in Haryana after Locust Attack in Neighboring States; Pesticides Available at 50% Subsidy

Haryana Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister, Jai Parkash Dalal said that the state has been put on ‘high alert’ after news of locust attack in neighboring states of Rajasthan and Punjab. The minister told that special supervision teams have been constituted to deal with the situation & to spread awareness about the recent locust outbreak.

Dalal said, "To control the locust attack the growers will get pesticides at 50% subsidy". He told that stock of pesticides - Chlorpyriphos 20% EC & Chlorpyriphos 50% EC have been made available via HAFED, Haryana Seed Development Corporation, Haryana Agro Industries Corporation and Haryana Land Reclamation and Development Corporation. Farmers can obtain these pesticides at 50% subsidy. In addition, they can also use pesticides like Bendiocarb, Fipronil, Lamda Cyhalothrin, Deltamethrin & Malathion.

He requested all the farmers to check their fields and immediately report if there is any locust attack in their fields & notify about the same to local Agricultural Development Officer, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar or Deputy Director of Agriculture Department.

The minister informed that the farmers have also been given special training on how to prevent the locust attack.

In a statement the agriculture minister said that as per the need or requirement, sufficient arrangements of pesticides are made, therefore the farmers of the state need not panic.

Dalal told that proper preparations are being made in the border districts that are next to Punjab and Rajasthan including Sirsa, Fatehabad & Hisar. Besides this, arrangements have been made in Rewari, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri and Mahendragarh districts as well as neighboring areas of these districts.

It must be noted that swarms of locusts were also seen in border villages of Punjab’s Fazilka district, though timely action by the authorities led to the removal of the pest.

Locusts, well-known as 'tiddi dal', are short-horned grasshoppers with high migratory habits & insatiable feeding behaviour.