A five-member team of the State BJP Kissan Morcha visited pest-hit crop lands in villages under Ramaguda block in Rayagada district and observed that farmers have been forced to set ablaze standing crop plants as Government failed to protect them.
“Paddy yield in some places have been affected due to attack by sheath blight, brown spot, stealth rot and brown pant hopper. The insects are turning the green paddy into dry and black like grass,” said the team in a statement.
BJP Kissan Morcha national vice-president Maheswar Sahu, State Kissan Morcha leader Rabi Maharana, former MP Jayram Pangi and two others were in the team.
They said farmers burnt the paddy plants to protect the nearby healthy plants. They were forced to do so as the Government machineries failed to take appropriate steps to control the pest attack.
“Failure of Government machineries is a major cause for the distress farmers to set their crops on fire and commit suicide,” said the team.