GTA sets humans to catch insects to help oranges thrive in Hills
Times of India | 19 May 2024
DARJEELING: The initiative to pay workers in the Hills for catching citrus trunk borer - an insect that infests orange trees between May and August - is offering additional income to workers and may boost the yield of the fruit. Such an initiative has elicited a good response as scores of workers are turning up with their catch in good numbers.
Called 'Mission Suntala' (Suntala is Nepali for orange), under this initiative the Directorate of Cinchona and Other Medicinal Plant (DCOMP) in Darjeeling has offered to pay a cash award of Rs 30 per male borer and Rs 50 per female borer.It aims to tackle the problem without the use of pesticide.
Orange plucking is a seasonal activity and is carried out for three months in a year between Oct and Dec. DCOMP director Samuel Rai said,"It's been three days of the initiative and we have already received 300 insects. These insects are big in size and can be caught. Earlier, we used to pay Rs 10 per insect unofficially."
Rai added thatthe borer first attacks the tree bark and drills tunnels through the tree. Five insects are able to kill an orange tree in three to four months.
Orange orchards in Darjeeling are spread across more than 4,000 hectares. Popular in Bengal, the production of Darjeeling oranges has steadily declined from 50 tonnes to 30 tonnes over the past few years.
Apart from the citrus trunk borer, the orange orchards also face problems from fruit flies. "Around 50%-40% of fruits are lost due to fruit flies. We use cotton dipped in methyl eugenol and place it inside plastic bottles that are then tied to branches. The chemical attracts female insects that get trapped inside the bottle," Rai said.
The directorate is also conducting a survey to understand the problems on the ground and gather data.
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) executive director (horticulture), Sonam Bhutia, said, "Darjeeling oranges are known for their superior taste and hence we want to maintain that by not using pesticides. The pesticides affect the colour and quality of oranges. We want to revive the traditional and organic way of growing oranges in the Hills."
Bidhen Pradhan, an orange farmer, said, " We had to bear the burden of paying others to catch the insects previously. But now, the govt is paying. We are getting dual benefits."