Pests devastate Sri Lanka's crops amid political fight against pesticides

Nearly half of the crops in northern Sri Lanka have been destroyed by pests and weeds, and many farmers blaming pesticide bans for their losses have returned or canceled their rice paddy leases There is complete confusion in Sri Lanka's pesticide policy, writes S. Rubatisan in his article on the portal www.sundaytimes.lk. Meanwhile, in the north of the country, uncontrolled pests feast on. The most dangerous are rice stem drillers, which are widespread in the region. Insects penetrate the stems of plants and can destroy 50 percent of the crop. For farmers in Oriyana, an agricultural colony in Kilinochchi, the pest infestation turned into a real disaster that they started planting late, in mid-April, due to delays by the regional agrarian authorities due to the completion of a major irrigation project. Late-sown crops have become more vulnerable to weeds and insects due to pesticide shortages following the government's ban on imports of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. “Most of ...