'Fall Armyworm' outbreak causes crop loss of Rs 20 crore in Mizoram

An outbreak of 'Fall Armyworm' has affected at least 5,636 farming families in over 200 villages in Mizoram, state Agriculture Director Rohmingthanga Colney said Wednesday. The outbreak caused by the crop pest has affected maize cultivation in 2,055 hectares in 227 villages of all the eight districts, he said. Mizoram government had informed the Centre about an estimated crop loss of Rs 20 crore caused by the FAW outbreak in the state. Colney told PTI that 65.60 per cent of the maize cultivation area in the state has been affected by the pest.

The state government has constituted a Rapid Response Team to monitor the outbreak and take up measures to mitigate the loss of crops, he said. Agriculture experts said that FAW is a lepidopteran pest feeding on multiple plants (polyphagous). Experts said that dwindling population of birds in the state due to poaching have disturbed the ecological balance, resulting in the FAW outbreak.

(With inputs from agencies.)