KHAIRPUR, July 25: Farmers have expressed concern over an attack of mealy bug on cotton crop in the district, particularly Kot Diji, Faiz Gunj and Mir Wah taluks.

The concern was raised at a meeting of the Khairpur Abadgar Ittehad in Kot Diji on Friday.

The meeting was presided over by the president of the farmers’ organisation, Shakir Shah, and attended by farmers from Kot Diji, Faiz Gunj and Mir Wah.

The meeting was informed that cotton crop had been badly affected due to the viral attack in many areas of the three talukas.

It noted that substandard pesticides purchased from the market had been unable to control the virus.

The participants said that the district agriculture department had failed to identify the virus or provide any help and advice in this regard.

They demanded that growers of the areas where cotton crop had badly been affected due to mealy bug, be exempted from paying Abiyana (water charges) this year.