New Delhi: In view of the growing damage to litchi crops in Bihar, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has constituted a special expert task force to assess the situation and recommend immediate relief measures for farmers.
The decision was taken after farmers raised concerns over large-scale crop damage caused by the litchi stink bug during an interaction programme held at the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture in Lucknow on Thursday.
According to an official statement issued on Friday, the expert panel has been asked to visit the affected districts in Bihar, conduct a scientific assessment of crop losses, and submit its report with recommendations within a week.
As per the May 7 order issued by the National Research Centre on Litchi in Muzaffarpur, the task force will study the spread and impact of the litchi stink bug, evaluate the extent of losses, and suggest both short-term and long-term solutions to protect farmers and future crops.
The committee will also prepare advisories for farmers and recommend measures that may require intervention from both the Bihar government and the Centre.
The Director of the National Research Centre on Litchi has been appointed chairman of the task force. The panel includes scientists and experts from several agricultural institutions and departments across the country.
Among the members are representatives from the Bihar Horticulture Mission, Bihar Agriculture Department, Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Bihar Agricultural University, and the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture.
The task force also includes agricultural scientists such as Dr Jaipal Singh Chaudhary from the ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Ranchi, Dr M Sampat Kumar from Bengaluru, Dr Ipsita Samal from Muzaffarpur, and Dr Vinod Kumar, who will serve as the member secretary of the panel.
The expert team is expected to soon tour the worst-affected litchi-growing areas of Bihar so that timely action can be taken to reduce farmers’ losses.
With inputs from IANS