Malout farmer, officials differ on whitefly attack

The cotton field of farmer Jasmel Singh at Alamwala village in Muktsar, which he has prepared to sow paddy. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Malout, June 22

A farmer of Alamwala village in Lambi, Jasmel Singh, has claimed to have uprooted cotton crop on his four acres due to “whitefly attack”.

He told The Tribune today that he had sown BT cotton crop on eight acres, which he had even informed the officials of the Agriculture Department. However, due to the whitefly attack he has now uprooted his growing crop on four acres.

“The cotton crop was hit by whitefly. The growing leaves were damaged by 25 per cent. I had spent Rs 3,500 per acre and now I will sow paddy in the field. Even last year, I had sown paddy as whitefly had caused massive damage to the growing cotton crop sown on entire eight acres,” claimed Jasmel.

He, however, said his remaining cotton crop on four acres was safe. “Officials of the Agriculture Department visited my fields today,” said Jasmel.

Hassan Singh, Assistant Plant Protection Officer (APPO), Malout, said, “I visited the fields of Jasmel Singh and did not see any sign of whitefly attack. Even Jasmel’s father told us that they doubted that mealy bug could have damaged their cotton crop. They have uprooted the cotton crop on their four acres and prepared it to sow paddy.”

He added, “There is no whitefly attack on cotton crop anywhere in the district.”

Meanwhile, another officer in the Agriculture Department said the farmers were uprooting cotton crop just because they have got new tubewell connections and now they were opting to grow paddy.

However, Jasmel contested this claim saying that he had not got the tubewell connection.

Courtesy: The Tribune