The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shamim Jahangir

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has directed its district and upazila level officials to find out the places where standing Aman crop has been attacked by disease and pests and suggest steps to combat them.

The district and upazila level officials have been asked to visit the pest and disease affected Aman fields in the wake of the press report that the Aman production target might fall short by at least 20 percent this season due to disease and pest attack.

The officials have been directed to take all necessary steps including application of pesticides and removal of contaminated water from the affected fields.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Adviser Dr CS Karim, Director General of DAE M Samsul Islam and Director of Field Service Wing at DAE Abdul Mazid Biswas continued their follow up visit to the pest affected areas to see for themselves the intensity of the problems and the measures to address them.

Dr CS Karim along with the high officials of DAE visited Gaibandha, Dinajpur, Rangpur and Jessore during last couple of days. During their visit, they found several lakh hectares of Aman land affected by 'sheath light disease' due to less use of TSP and MOP, sources said.

Besides, Aman on several thousands hectares of land across the country have been damaged following major attack by brown plant hopper, pamri and leaf-folder pests.

A total of 56.54 lakh hectares of land across the country have been brought under Aman cultivation this season with a target to produce 136.97 lakh tonnes of paddy, DAE sources said.

Greater Mymensingh, greater Rangpur and greater Barisal districts are the worst affected areas which account for the 40 percent of the total Aman production.