Unidentified pests hit Lunglei

Aizawl, May 22 (UNI) A large number of unknown pests were found in several parts of Lunglei district in Mizoram since last Friday.

Lunglei district agriculture officer Lalthansiama today said that samples of the pests were sent to laboratories for identification.

He assured that the pests had not ravaged the paddies.

With the outbreak of beetles, bugs, grasshoppers and caterpillars, farmers here were panicky over this development.

The cyclic bamboo flowering (locally referred to as Mautam) is expected by 2007.

A few weeks back, an outbreak of flea beetles, known as Kelte-laimawn in local language, was witnessed in three districts of Aizawl, Mamit and Kolasib, with Aizawl being the worst-hit.

Assistant Plant Protection Officer of the state Agriculture department Lalsiamliana told UNI that the beetles nibbled the roots and stems of paddies leaving trails of destruction at least in 10 villages in Aizawl district alone.

Agriculture officials had rushed to the affected villages and provided them with pesticides and arranged cultivation of alternative crops such as potato and other cash crops for those who had their crops completely destroyed, official sources said.

UNI