One of the horrors of this world is the famine, especially the Bengal Famine. Some people die because of food shortages and scarcity of food.
In India Agriculture is the heart just like any developing country. Being in a subtropical region, the flora and fauna are excellent for the growth and development of crops.
This also leads to the development and infestation of Pests. The favorable conditions of the subtropical region allow pests to infest and grow periodically.
Thus, in the current scenario of World Food Safety Day and Pest Control Day, we will highlight the damages caused by Pest in crops with the importance of Pest Control and safety of food and grains.
Total Loss of Food Grains due to Pests
As per the official details from INDIAN GRAIN STORAGE MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH INSTITUTE (IGMRI) India loses 10% of total food grains due to attack from pests such as rodents and insects.
The annual storage of losses comprises around 14 million tonnes which are valued at 7000 crores. The amount of loss endured here is not even the capacity of countries to produce these goods for one financial year.
Common Pests in Agriculture
Several kinds of insects and pests destroy agriculture. The fruit borers are considered the most harmful ones when it comes to agricultural Pests.
There are others which include leaf and flower eating caterpillar, moth bugs, and leaf mites.
Aphids and Mealy Bugs are also some of the most important Pests which destroy corps.
Common Pest in Food Processing Units
Several kinds of Pests are found in the food processing Industry and Units. They are highly dependable on the climatic factors along with demography with the food ingredients produced.
The most common pests are rodents, beetles, moths, flies, and cockroaches. Their presence can be in containers or can also lead to the damage of packaging.
How we can protect food grains from Pests
There are several ways by which farmers can protect their crops from Pest. There are several indigenous methods which are practiced since early ages. Sun Drying is one of the ways by which farmers ensure that those food crops are dried in the proper heat of summer. In the Red Soil, Coating method farmers use red soil and water mixture and uses the same to protect seeds.
It protects them from laying eggs on those grains and seeds. Storage of Pulses with Salt and Turmeric are the other ways used by farmers as an indigenous method to protect seeds from an infestation of the pest.
Importance of Pest Control
Food production and earning revenue from the same ensures proper supply and demand. This also helps the farmers to reduce the damages of crops. If damages to crops are reduced their safety is ensured.
This helps them to manage their production and output which Pest control helps in controlling the infestation.
All human beings deserve safety for the foods they consume and at the same time the farmers who produce deserve proper management which is possible by a proper mixture of indigenous methods and Pest Controlling. The pest control services professionals are experts in understanding infestations and implementing a process to stop the same.
Author Details:
Avijit Ghosh
Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Calcutta & higher studies of entomology from Indian Grain Storage Management and Research Institute (I.G.M.R.I.), Hapur, UP.