Betel nut trees are rotting in the Mawsynram area because of an unknown disease and the Agriculture Department is not doing enough to help the affected farmers, local MLA Himalaya Shangpliang has said.
Trial spraying of insecticides on July 6 have not yielded positive results, he said. Drones were used to spray the pesticides around Umsawrang.
“It was done on a trial basis and nothing has happened to date. The beetel trees are rotting day by day because of the yellow disease and other diseases and the farmers in my constituency, who are dependent on this occupation, are suffering,” he lamented.
Shangpliang expressed disappointment in the way the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments are functioning, as, despite several complaints, nothing has been done by the government.
“I appeal to the Agriculture Minister and the Chief Minister to look into the problem of farmers planting betel nuts because this is not confined to this region but throughout the state, including Garo Hills. Diseases are spreading like wildfire and our farmers will be left with nothing,” he said.
Instead of helping deal with this problem, the Horticulture Department officers are reportedly more concerned with trying to convince farmers to give up betel in favour of pineapple.
“Is the department giving up on this issue? I expected that ICAR scientists would be called in or other types of technology be used to help control the disease but they (the officials) are instead telling them (farmers) to give up and take up pineapple production, which is unacceptable,” the MLA added.
