The mealy bug has started destroying cotton crop in Sindh and Punjab, sources told Business Recorder. According to sources, the bug has attacked the cotton belt of Sindh and Balochistan. "We have fixed 4.2 million bales cotton production target for 2007-08 but it can only be achieved when we will be able to control this dangerous insect," sources said.
They said that if mealy bug attack remained mild in August and mid-September, then the government would be able to achieve the target otherwise that would be impossible. However, they hoped that the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) is making strenuous efforts to control this attack by using pesticides.
"The government has established seven organisations tasked to find a formula to avoid the mealy bug attack on the cotton crop. These organisations are suggesting the farmers to save the cotton crop," they added. They recalled that attack of mealy bug was first observed in 2005 on cotton along with other ornamental plants at Vehari and was also reported from Sindh the same year.
The situation in Sindh was worse than Punjab. Severe damage of mealy bug was recorded first time on an area of about 3,000 acres in Kot Ghulam Muhammad, Tandoallahyar, Mirpurkhas and Sanghar district in 2005.
In 2006, it took an epidemic-like situation in Multan, Bahawalpur, Vehari and Khanewal whereas in Sindh the attack of mealy bug was observed in district Sanghar at early stage of cotton crop which spread very fast in most of the cotton growing areas of Sindh thus destroying almost 12 percent cotton crop in 2005-06.
In Balochistan, mealy bug was observed in 2006. It not only damaged the cotton crop but also affected other crops including horticultural crops. It attacked vegetables like tomato, brinjal, okra, crops like chilli, tobacco, fruits, ornamental plants, weeds, fodders and is serious threat to the agriculture.
According to the sources, Minfal has decided to start a project to control the attack of mealy bug on the cotton crop; the total cost of the 15-month pilot project would be Rs 26.4 million. Also, another five-year project to control the mealy bug attack is under preparation at a cost of Rs 494 million.