The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoAFW) has formed two expert teams to assess the impact and scale of the damage caused by the tea mosquito bug (Helopeltis Theivora) and to assess tea planters’ request to use other restricted pesticides in addition to Dimethoate, which was previously banned. Dimethoate pesticide, according to tea planters, is less expensive and more effective than conventional pesticides. The committees will travel to South and North East India, the country’s major tea-producing regions, and submit a report by the end of next month. According to planters, this bug has cost them millions of kilogrammes of tea in the last year, particularly in the south. Because conventional pesticides are more expensive, the cost of production has risen.
According to the UPASI, the pest attack has reduced tea production in Tamil Nadu’s Anaimalai region from 24 million kg to 13 million kg. JP Singh, Plant Protection Advisor at MoAFW, formed the team last week in response to tea planters’ claims that conventional pesticides are ineffective. Plantation associations will be represented on the team, in addition to technical experts. On April 12, the Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee granted Dimethoate ad hoc approval for a year. It also directed UPASI and others to submit the residue data as soon as possible in accordance with the CIB& RC guidelines.
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