G Ram Mohan
The attack of Fall Armyworm on maize crop in Andhra Pradesh has not just affected farmers, but also cattle. The state, which produces the most maize in the country, is unable to generate enough fodder after the pest attack.
“I supply maize to a cow shelter run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams for fodder and was always able to give 18 to 20 tonnes of maize per acre. The yield has now fallen to 10 tonnes. Our village, which majorly used to grow maize, has only 10 per cent of its farmers cultivating it owing to the worm,” says K Bhupathi Reddy, farmer from Mallayapalli village near Tirupati in Chittoor district.The worm was first sighted in AP in August 2018 in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts. The worm has attacked Kadapa, Nellore, Ananthapur, Chittoor, Kurnool, Vizag and East Godavari districts in AP
