India: Farmers plough potato crop under virus attack

Potatoes have been sown over 6,000 hectares in Bathinda alone. Farmers said that leaves were not developing due to virus and it was suspected to badly affect the crop yield.Potato is sown mainly in Kararwala, Pitho, Mandi Kalan, Bhundar, Dhapali, Kotra and Selbarah villages. Last year too, farmers had to face losses in potato crop as there was a bumper produce and prices had crashed. Some farmers had put the potatoes in cold stores, others went to the extent of dumping them on roadsides.

In this week, village Pitho farmers Balbir Singh and Bant Singh ploughed the potatoes crop in 2.5 acres each whereas Kulbir Singh ploughed the crop in 3 acres.Balbir Singh said, "I had sown potato, hoping to earn good money but the virus attack dashed all my hopes. The leaves had stopped developing since last few days and when consulted the horticulture department officials they found some problem in seed of potatoes. Seeing no hope I preferred to plough the crop."

"After the virus attack I decided to plough the crop and go in for other crop," he added.

As per horticulture officials the virus is yet to be named. A scientist of Punjab Agriculture University said, "We will check the virus and anything about its name and type could be explained only after that."

Farmer organization BKU Ekta Ugrahan district president Shingara Singh Mann said, "The department needs to keep vigil so that the repetition of pest attack on cotton crop may not recur. We want the horticulture department authorities to visit villages and tell about the remedial measures to farmers."

Horticulture department deputy director Gurkewal Singh Dhillon said, "The potato crop going to be bumper this year. The complaints of virus, which is yet to be named, are from very small area. Sometimes the problem occurs due to quality of seed. The farmers use old seed which is not recommended. The departmental team will be sent to the village on Monday to know about the virus attack."