With an outbreak of armyworm in maize plants, farmers of Phimsong chiwog in Phongmed gewog, Trashigang are worried about their yield this year. Around 64 households reported the damage in about 45 acres of the maize fields. Phimsong chiwog has around 94 households. Maize is one of the staple foods and also the main source of income for the farmers in the chiwog.
To prevent the infestation, some farmers used their leftover pesticides but all their efforts went in vain.
“I sprayed the pesticide that I have brought last year but it does not work. I don’t know if my pesticide expiry date is over and that’s why it didn’t work. But my maize plant is completely damaged,” said Yeshi Choden, a farmer in the chiwog.
“I even tried using kerosene and diesel to keep away the armyworms. It disappeared once but again it started attacking and damaging our crops. It doesn’t work,” added Langa Norbu.
Farmers were left hopeless as they watched the armyworms destroy their maize plants.
“I am worried now. We cannot go out to earn like other people. We are old. We expected a good production but the armyworms have damaged everything,” said Shangtong, another farmer.
“We solely depend on maize and rice production, we cannot do business like others. We don’t have a huge area to cultivate. Whatever was left in our small area is completely damaged by the infestation. We are worried,” added Langa Norbu, another resident.
Some farmers said that they could not use pesticide during the early stages of the infestation due to the unavailability of pesticides during the lockdown. However, the farmers had managed to get 300 bottles of pesticides during the lockdown upon the request by the agriculture extension office to the dzongkhag. But this could not prevent the infestation as by then the armyworms had already destroyed the maize plants.
Meanwhile, the Tshogpa submitted the names of those affected by the infestation to the gewog’s agriculture extension office. The gewog administration plans to help farmers with the maize seeds for the next season.
Sonam Darjay, Trashigang
