NEW DELHI: Concerned over the growing damage to litchi crops in Bihar due to the spread of the litchi stink bug, the Union government has decided to form an expert panel to study the crisis and recommend immediate measures to protect farmers.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has directed the constitution of a special task force comprising scientists, agricultural experts and officials to assess the situation in affected districts and submit a report within a week.
An official from the Ministry said that the issue came to the fore during an interaction with farmers at the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture in Lucknow on May 7, where farmers informed the minister about heavy crop losses caused by the pest.
Taking immediate note of the complaints, the minister ordered the formation of a specialised expert team to examine the extent of damage and suggest both short-term and long-term solutions.
According to an order issued by the National Research Centre on Litchi under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the panel will visit the affected litchi-growing regions of Bihar, conduct scientific assessment of crop losses and prepare recommendations for relief and prevention.
The team will also suggest advisories for farmers and recommend measures that need to be taken by both the State and Central governments to control the pest outbreak.
The Director of the National Research Centre on Litchi, Muzaffarpur, will head the task force. Members include scientists and representatives from the Bihar government’s horticulture and plant protection departments, experts from agricultural universities in Bihar, and specialists from national agricultural research institutes.
Among those included in the panel are experts from Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University in Pusa, Bihar Agricultural University in Sabour, and the National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources in Bengaluru.
Scientists from the ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region and the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture are also part of the panel.
The expert team is expected to visit the worst-affected blocks in Bihar’s major litchi-producing districts shortly. Officials said the panel has been asked to submit its findings and recommendations to the Agriculture Minister within one week so that timely action can be initiated.
Bihar is one of India’s largest producers of litchi, with districts such as Muzaffarpur known for the popular Shahi litchi variety. Farmers fear that a large-scale pest attack at this stage of the season could severely affect production and incomes.
Agriculture experts say the litchi stink bug damages the fruit by sucking sap.
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