White grub infestation in Dharmapuri sugarcane fields
The aforementioned sign is one of the symptoms of the damage done by white grubs, the larvae of scarab beetles.
Farmers have blamed the spread of the insect on the mills and the agriculture department's failure to identify the infestation, which is spread across the district.
White grubs afflict the root of sugarcane.
Speaking to TNIE, S Chinnasamy, a sugarcane farmer, said, "The two mills in the district, the Dharmapuri Cooperative Sugarmill (DCS) and the Subramaniya Siva Cooperative Sugarmill (SSCS), have affixed a total target of 12,000 acres for cane cultivation across the district. White grubs have been feeding off the roots of the sugarcane, leading to the wilting of our sugarcane. Farmers stand to lose their sugarcanes. The situation is dire, especially considering the investments we have put into the cultivation. Each farmer has invested somewhere between Rs 20,000 per acre for cultivation, and if the infestation is not curbed, we stand to face massive losses".
G Murali, a farmer from Morappur, said, "The white grub infestation should have been identified much earlier. Even the fields cultivated by the SSCS are affected. The lack of timely awareness is the cause of the infestation. While it is true that we have faced these insects in the past, most farmers are struggling to control the spread of insects. So it is only a matter of time till we lose our crops".
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