Lok Sabha Question No. 5914 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-03
Subject: Loss of Crops due to Pest and Insects
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA, SUDHEER GUPTA, VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., ANWHAR RAAJHAA, BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN, NARANBHAI KACHHADIA, T. RADHAKRISHNAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5914

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  3 RD  APRIL, 2018

## LOSS OF CROPS DUE TO PEST AND INSECTS

5914.  SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

SHRI A. ANWHAR RAAJHAA:

SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE      ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of crops affected and the loss suffered by the farmers due to pest and insect attacks on various crops during each of the last three years and the current year, crop-wise and year-wise;
- (b) the  details  of  States/UTs  which  have  sought  relief/assistance  from  the  Union Government in this regard during the said period;
- (c) the details of the relief provided by the Union Government along with the number of farmers benefited during the said period, State/UT-wise; and
- (d) the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  the  crops from pest and insect attacks in the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान  कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã  ½ãñâ  Àã·¾ã  ½ãâ¨ããè (  SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a): The details are at Annexure I.

(b) & (c): During  2014-15  to  2016-17,  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation and  Farmers  Welfare  has  not  received  any  memorandum  from  the  State  seeking assistance  from  National  Disaster  Response  Fund  (NDRF)  for  damages  due  to  pest attack. During 2017-18, the Government of Maharashtra has submitted a memorandum seeking assistance of Rs. 2425.53 crore from NDRF on account of damages caused due to pest attack on cotton and Ockhi cyclone. The said memorandum was examined and certain clarifications were sought from the State Government. However, the State Government  informed  that  requirement  of  funds  is  being  managed  through  State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

(d): The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing 'Strengthening and Modernization of Pest Management Approach in India' (SMPMA) Scheme through 35  Central  Integrated  Pest  Management  Centres  (CIPMCs)  established  across  the country  with  an  aim  to  promote  Integrated  Pest  Management  (IPM)  approach.  These CIPMCs,  inter  alia,  conducts  regular  surveys  to  monitor  pest  situations,  produce biological agents for release in the fields, conserve natural bio-control agents, promote bio-pesticides as an alternative to chemical pesticides and advocate judicious and safe use  of  chemical  pesticides  as  a  last  resort.    In  addition,  these  CIPMCs  organizes Farmers  Field  Schools  (FFSs)  to  sensitize  farmers  on  Integrated  Pest  Management (IPM)  approach.  Furthermore,  Regular  advisories  on  pest  management  are  being shared  with  the  States  for  their  timely  dissemination  to  the  farmers  through  their extension functionaries. The State Governments through various forums such as Zonal Conferences and National Conference are requested to exhort their extension functionaries to educate and impart training to farmers on efficacious and sustainable pest management strategies and approaches.

## Annexure I

## Details of the Pest Problem reported in various States in the Last Three Years

|   S.No. | Year     | Crop         | State                                           | Disease                                                          | Remarks                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|---------|----------|--------------|-------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | 2015- 16 | Cotton       | Punjab and Haryana                              | Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCV) and white fly                      | As per the information received from the Punjab and Haryana Government, an area of 3.39 lakh hectare and 5.8 lakh hectare respectively was cultivated under the cotton crop during 2015- 16. Approximately, all the cultivated area was affected in Punjab. However, in Haryana losses of more than 50 % were reported in 0.25 lakh hectare whereas less than 50% losses were reported in 5.28 lakh hectare. |
|       2 | 2016     | Rice         | Assam                                           | Rice swarming caterpillar                                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|       3 | 2016     | Coconut palm | Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala | Rugose spiralling white fly (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin) |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|       4 | 2016- 17 | Rice         | Tamilnadu                                       | Brown Plant Hopper                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|       5 | 2016- 17 | Wheat        | West Bengal                                     | Wheat blast like disease                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|       6 | 2017     | Cotton       | Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh & Gujarat           | Pink bollworm                                                    | As per the information received from the Agriculture Department of the Maharashtra State, outbreak of Pink Boll Worm has been reported on about 34 Lakh ha.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|       7 | 2017     | Maize        | Karnataka                                       | Armyworm                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|       8 | 2017     | Rice         | Odisha                                          | Brown Plant Hopper                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |

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