Udhampur, July 15 -- The Fall Armyworm pest has wreaked havoc on the maize crops in Udhampur's Mansar Panchayat, causing huge losses to farmers in the district.

The Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a polyphagous insect that feeds mainly on maize and more than 80 other crops, including wheat, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton. FAW is a global threat to food security, impacting food production and rural livelihoods.

Chief Agricultural Officer Harbans Singh stated that the effect of the Fall Armyworm on the crop was also the result of the late sowing of the crop.

He advised farmers to sow their crops early, further stating that pesticides had been spread on 3,000 hectares of land to prevent any further infesta...