TN farmers seek cheap, lasting solution for disease-prone tapioca crop
Since there was less water availability in the tropical region, the farmers from these areas either quit cultivating tapioca or shifted to other crops, particularly medicinal plants.
Infected tapioca crop in Perambalur
TIRUCHY: Unlike other horticulture crops, tapioca is easily prone to diseases and the most common diseases are ‘semben’ and ‘cassava mosaic’ virus attacks which reduce the yield drastically. So the farmers have appealed to the government to find a lasting solution with less expenditure.
Since there was less water availability in the tropical region, the farmers from these areas either quit cultivating tapioca or shifted to other crops, particularly medicinal plants.
Despite all odds, several farmers undertook cultivation in districts like Perambalur, Tiruchy and Pudukkottai but the crops were infected with the ‘cassava mosaic’ virus and ‘semben’ disease which had damaged more than 70 per cent of cultivation in these districts and so they faced a huge loss.
When the crops get infected, the growth stops, the stems decay and the leaves shed even when it reaches six to seven months. “Because of these the tapioca harvest is not predictable,” the farmers say.
Farmers also mentioned that there was no proper insurance, incentive or subsidy for the crop. Due to this many farmers have an aversion to undertaking cultivation, even though the officials from the agriculture department had visited the crops infected by the diseases in various places, particularly in Perambalur, and suggested pesticides and herbicides to protect the crops.
“The pesticides suggested by the officials sold at Rs 850 for 250 grams and we needed to sprinkle the medicine with the support of drones, so it has become a costly affair. We lost interest in the usage of these medications,” said K Prabakaran from Perambalur. He also said that there is no subsidy for tapioca on par with the other crops. “So we practice some traditional methods to save the crops but we fail often,” Prabakaran said.
The farmers have appealed to the government to initiate steps to make the cheapest possible pesticides to control the diseases in tapioca. They also appealed to the agriculture officials to provide advice well in advance so that they could prepare themselves for proper cultivation methods.
