SANGHAR, June 1: The attack of mealy bugs on cotton crop has been reported in various areas of the district. Cotton plants are infected by oval sluggish insects with short spines on the body margin and a covering of mealy white powder.

Though still not reached an alarming proportion but farmers said that if the pest was not controlled it would cause severe damage to the cotton crop.

Farmers of deh Chamaro said that the pest had never attacked cotton before but it appeared last year in August when the crop was mature.

They said that this year the bug appeared in May and it was spreading very fast.

Farmer Shamsuddin said that he had planted cotton on over 200 acres and in every acre, one could find plants attacked by the bug.

Similarly, in Kharero, Toori, Workshop, Khad Wari, Gujri and Chotiyarioon dehs cotton crop was under attack of pests.

Farmers Fazal Rehman, Ashiq Hussain, Rehmat Ali Arain and Ashfaque Ahmed said that they had ploughed down some of cotton acres because of the mealy bug attack.

DDO (agriculture) Hashim Solangi said that the last year there was a mealy bug problem but it was below economic threshold and had appeared late when the cotton crop was already mature.