About 40 per cent of the standing cotton crop has been affected by the whitefly attack in Fazilka making it one of the worst-hit districts of the state. Official sources said out of the total 2.5 lakh acres under cotton cultivation, about 99,000 acres have been damaged partially or substantially due to the attack. 

 Farmers ploughed out the completely damaged standing cotton crop in over 700 acres of land in different villages. Sources said cotton plants have been damaged mostly in areas near orchards as the moisture content in these areas is higher as compared to others.

 The state government is in a damage control mode. Sources said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had held a meeting of Deputy Commissioners of eight cotton belt Malwa zone districts on August 28 to work out a strategy to redress the issue.............Read more

Source web page: The Tribune