India: Odisha cashew farmers in trouble as tea mosquito bug destroys crops

Published Apr 27, 2022

Tridge summary

Climate change is believed to be a factor in tea mosquito bugs attacking cashew crops in Odisha, India, leading to significant losses for thousands of growers in the Ganjam district. The insect, Helopeltis antonii, has historically affected cashew crops in southern Indian states but has now expanded its reach. Unseasonal rainfall and increasing temperatures, potentially linked to climate change, may be contributing factors. The infestation has resulted in significant crop damage, with some areas seeing up to 40% affected, and has the potential to reduce cashew production by as much as 90% this season. The issue affects not only private growers but also state-owned operations, including the Odisha Cashew Corporation. Odisha is the third-largest state in India for cashew cultivation, production, and processing.
Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Experts think climate change may be to blame for tea mosquito bugs attacking acres of cashew crops in Odisha. According to Sarat Chandra Behera, deputy director of the state horticulture department, thousands of cashew growers in the Ganjam district have lost crops due to the infestation. Almost all of the cashew plants that Ramesh Sabar, a tribal farmer in Odisha's Ganjam district, had cultivated in around two hectares of land had dried up without flowering at a time when the cash crop is typically harvested. According to Prabhu Charan Lenka, former professor of horticulture at Odisha University Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar, the tea mosquito bug (Helopeltis antonii) has been around for years but has mostly invaded cashew crops in south Indian states. Fruits infested by the insect develop a warty appearance, and their market value nosedives, according to Lenka, a consultant with the Union Ministry of Agriculture's Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development ...

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