Tackling mealy bug menace in Malwa belt As mealy bug attack on cotton and other crops has turned grave, the Punjab government has convened a meeting of the deputy commissioners of the Malwa belt tomorrow at Ferozepur. Sources said senior Agriculture department officers today met at Bathinda after visiting various areas in the Malwa belt where attack of mealy bug was quite intense. Mealy bug problem, common in Chandigarh region for several years, has now become a serious problem in Malwa belt. As grass and other wild plants play host to the bug, its wiping out is a huge task. In Malwa belt, first time the attack of mealy bug was noticed on cotton crop and later on rabi crops last year. Now it has shifted again to cotton crop. Farmers had attempted to deal with its attack but were partial success in this regard. The damage caused to cotton crop last year was to of Rs 400 crore. Productivity of cotton last year due to attack had come down to 650 kg from 750 kg per acre. The authorities concerned had expected the production of 26.70 lakh bales but it turned out to be 23.55 lakh bales last year thus resulting in loss of 3.15 lakh bales. The mealy bug, a small lazy appearing insect, eats plant shoots and leaves results in stunted growth of the plant. And it attacks in clusters. Director agriculture, Punjab, Balwinder Singh Sidhu, said today meeting of senior officers of various departments including agriculture, horticulture,Markfed and private companies such as Vardhman was held at Bathinda under the chairmanship of R.S. Sandhu, financial commissioner, development to discuss measures to tackle the mealy bug menace. Tomorrow, meeting of the deputy commissioners of the cotton belt would be held at Ferozepur, he said. The focus would be to destroy the host plants.People at the village level would be mobilized to deal with the problem. Deputy commissioners would be asked to take a lead in this regard. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who also belongs to the cotton belt, has told the officers concerned to find out the concrete way out to finish the mealy bug attack.