Shillong, May 21: The State government has constituted a high-level committee to monitor the spread of the arecanut bud rot disease across various districts, Agriculture Minister Timothy D Shira said.
He said that at the district level, the deputy commissioners have been tasked with assessing the extent of damage, identifying severely affected pockets and suggesting measures to contain and eradicate the disease.
Arecanut has long been the backbone of many farming families in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya. However, the crop is currently facing several production challenges, particularly the incidence of bud rot disease, which has led to reduced productivity in recent years.
According to Shira, bud rot cases have been reported across the Garo Hills region, including North Garo Hills, South Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and South West Garo Hills. Parts of Ri Bhoi district, East Khasi Hills, the southern slopes bordering Bangladesh and South West Khasi Hills have also been affected by the disease.
Meanwhile, the minister informed that the government has initiated a minimum support price (MSP) for broom grass to ensure that farmers are protected from the fluctuations in market prices.
He said the government has yet to receive any complaints from farmers about the pricing situation.
