Pest attacks sugarcane fields in Mohimaganj 'mill zone' areas
A sugarcane field affected by stem borer at Bakchar in Kamardaha union in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha district. Photo: STAR
Prospect of sugarcane production in Mohimaganj Sugar Mills areas in Gaibandha seems bleak following widespread pest attack that badly affected sugar production ahead of the coming crushing season. According to mill sources, this year only 7,000 acres of land have been brought under sugarcane cultivation against the target of 12,000 acres under mill zone areas of Gobindaganj, Sadullapur, Palashbari and Gaibandha Sadar upazilas. Most of the areas affected by pest attack were identified in Gobindaganj where stem borer, (locally called mazada poka) attacked vast areas of sugarcane fields including mill farm areas of Sahebganj and affected the crops are drying up, said local people. Despite spraying pesticide no fruitful result is marked and the pest attack is spreading rapidly, said Altaf Hossain, a farmer of Kaiyaganj village in Gobindaganj upazila. Areas of sugarcane cultivation this season has been less than that of stipulated target due to shortage of seeds, said sources at the agriculture section of sugar mills. Besides, last year huge quantities of sugarcane were used for molasses production through power crushers and other manual equipment and consumed many of the cane as oral drink. Molasses has great demand in the rural areas and so growers are eagerly supplying sugarcane to the power crusher owners in exchange of ready cash, said Hamidul Islam, a molasses trader of Mohimaganj Bazar. It is better to supply cane to local power crusher owners as getting bills from mill authorities often takes long time, said another farmer Afzal Ali. This year the mills have a target to produce 4,900 tonnes of sugar by crushing 70,000 tonnes of sugarcane in the coming crushing season. "The pest attack marked alarming in the mill zone areas, it is due to changing trend of climate and we are suggesting cut down the attacked cane and are getting some positive result from the growers," said Madon Mohan Shah, managing director of Mohimaganj Sugar Mills.
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