Sugarcane farmers claim white grub infestation
DHARMAPURI : Sugarcane farmers around Harur and Pappireddipatti in Dharmapuri district are concerned by the sudden infestation of white grub worms in their fields.
They fear the quality of the sugarcane would be hit, leading to losses.
Speaking to TNIE, K Muniraj from Pappireddipatti said, “The biggest problem with this white grub disease is that they take root within the canes and cause the canes to become stunted and the water content in the cane would be reduced. As the price of sugarcane is determined by the weight in tonnes, farmers would lose profits.”
Another farmer from Harur, R Rajan said, “It is tough to control the spread of white grubs. Last year there was significant damage caused by pests. However, the Subramaniya Siva Cooperative Sugarmill staff quickly assessed the damages, and farmers were provided good pricing for the affected canes. We hope the mill will intervene, spread awareness on the control measures and minimise the damages.”
Subramaniya Siva Cooperative Sugar Mill Managing Director R Priya said, “We have not observed any such infection in the field. Usually, these pests thrive on heat and it is unlikely there will be any infestation now. With the recent monsoon, the rains will act as a deterrent. Nonetheless, we will investigate the matter and take the necessary steps.”
In 2023-24, the Subramaniya Siva Cooperative Sugarmill had ground an average of 2.84 lakh metric tonnes of cane and achieved a recovery rate of 10.65% recording the highest recovery rate in the state. However, farmers in the area stated this could have been higher. The poor climatic conditions, especially the lack of rainfall, aggravated the infestation, thereby impacting the quality of the sugarcane. Now again this year minor pockets of white grub infection have been observed leaving farmers concerned.
