Annual crop lack of 147 million kg ensuing from pest assaults: Tea evaluation physique

By PTI

KOLKATA: Amid rising temperatures and prolonged rainless intervals ensuing from native climate change, large-scale assaults of pests and sicknesses in tea plantations all through the nation have develop to be worrisome for planters with an estimated annual crop lack of spherical 147 million kg, an enterprise physique said on Saturday.

Tea Research Association, in its assertion, said the earnings loss ensuing from pest infestation in tea plantations is pegged at Rs 2,865 crore per yr.

“Pest and diseases were present earlier, but it has aggravated over the last few years. In north India, the incidence of pest attacks was initially limited to a few areas in Dooars in West Bengal and the south bank of Assam, but has been spreading rapidly in other tea-growing regions of Cachar, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling and Terai over the last two decades,” TRA secretary Joydeep Phukan said.

The essential pests prevalent in north Indian tea plantations are tea mosquito bugs and looper caterpillars except for thrips.

There has been moreover a rising incidence and unfold of termite infestation in northeast India, which is spreading to new areas, the TRA official said.

The worth of plant security in tea plantations throughout the northern part of West Bengal and the northeast space of the nation has elevated manifold over the earlier twenty years, reaching as extreme as Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per hectare, the assertion said.

According to TRA, this has had a “negative impact on the viability of operations” leading to lower exports and worldwide competitiveness.

“Crop loss due to pest infestation in tea is estimated at 147 million kg per year, and in revenue, the loss is around Rs 2,865 crore per year,” Phukan said.

The tea enterprise makes use of pesticides that are licensed by the Central Insecticides Board along with the foundations issued by the Tea Board India by way of its Plant Protection Code and Good Agricultural Practices listed by the TRA.

“Currently, there are only seven pesticides which are approved for use in India by CIBRC (Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee), making it difficult for tea growers to effectively control tea mosquito bugs and tea loopers,” the enterprise physique said.

The availability of a “narrow range of limited chemicals has led to resistance build-up in pest populations”, Phukan said, together with that there are “restrictions on the use of pesticides in tea due to revision of MRLs (maximum residue levels) in the EU”.

Plant security scientists at TRA have been evaluating a lot of new molecules/ pesticides in direction of the important thing pests by way of merchandise obtainable with Indian pesticide producers and have submitted bio-efficacy and residue analysis to the CIB&RC, he claimed.

“Considering the huge crop loss due to tea mosquito bug and other major pests, the TRA, which is a public authority under the Department of Commerce, has requested the agriculture secretary to kindly intervene for allowing provisional approval under national exigency of some more pesticides for two years for the benefit of the tea growers,” Phukan added.

KOLKATA: Amid rising temperatures and prolonged rainless intervals ensuing from native climate change, large-scale assaults of pests and sicknesses in tea plantations all through the nation have develop to be worrisome for planters with an estimated annual crop lack of spherical 147 million kg, an enterprise physique said on Saturday.

Tea Research Association, in its assertion, said the earnings loss ensuing from pest infestation in tea plantations is pegged at Rs 2,865 crore per yr.

“Pest and diseases were present earlier, but it has aggravated over the last few years. In north India, the incidence of pest attacks was initially limited to a few areas in Dooars in West Bengal and the south bank of Assam, but has been spreading rapidly in other tea-growing regions of Cachar, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling and Terai over the last two decades,” TRA secretary Joydeep Phukan said.googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.present(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

The essential pests prevalent in north Indian tea plantations are tea mosquito bugs and looper caterpillars except for thrips.

There has been moreover a rising incidence and unfold of termite infestation in northeast India, which is spreading to new areas, the TRA official said.

The worth of plant security in tea plantations throughout the northern part of West Bengal and the northeast space of the nation has elevated manifold over the earlier twenty years, reaching as extreme as Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per hectare, the assertion said.

According to TRA, this has had a “negative impact on the viability of operations” leading to lower exports and worldwide competitiveness.

“Crop loss due to pest infestation in tea is estimated at 147 million kg per year, and in revenue, the loss is around Rs 2,865 crore per year,” Phukan said.

The tea enterprise makes use of pesticides that are licensed by the Central Insecticides Board along with the foundations issued by the Tea Board India by way of its Plant Protection Code and Good Agricultural Practices listed by the TRA.

“Currently, there are only seven pesticides which are approved for use in India by CIBRC (Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee), making it difficult for tea growers to effectively control tea mosquito bugs and tea loopers,” the enterprise physique said.

The availability of a “narrow range of limited chemicals has led to resistance build-up in pest populations”, Phukan said, together with that there are “restrictions on the use of pesticides in tea due to revision of MRLs (maximum residue levels) in the EU”.

Plant security scientists at TRA have been evaluating a lot of new molecules/ pesticides in direction of the important thing pests by way of merchandise obtainable with Indian pesticide producers and have submitted bio-efficacy and residue analysis to the CIB&RC, he claimed.

“Considering the huge crop loss due to tea mosquito bug and other major pests, the TRA, which is a public authority under the Department of Commerce, has requested the agriculture secretary to kindly intervene for allowing provisional approval under national exigency of some more pesticides for two years for the benefit of the tea growers,” Phukan added.