Parliament Question: Integrated Pest Management Schemes

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3761 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11TH AUGUST, 2026 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SCHEMES

3761. Shri Anurag Singh Thakur:

Will the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare/ कृ(cid:874)ष एव ं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण मं(cid:287)ी

be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of widespread fall armyworm infestation affecting maize crops across Kangra, Chamba, Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh, with infestation levels reaching up to 15 per cent in some blocks;

(b) the details of financial, technical assistance, including under Integrated Pest Management schemes, extended to Himachal to combat this infestation and whether any Central team has been deputed to assess situation;

(c) whether the Government has any plans to provide compensation to farmers who have suffered yield losses or abandoned maize cultivation due to recurring fall armyworm attacks through PMFBY;

(d) the details of advisories, surveillance measures, integrated pest management

(IPM) interventions, pheromone traps, biopesticides, approved insecticides, awareness campaigns, assistance provided by Central Government through ICAR, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and other agencies to control the infestation; and

(e) the details of other steps taken to strengthen early-warning, pest-surveillance and research support for invasive pests? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष एव ं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण रा(cid:207)यम(cid:287)ं ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a): As per information received from Agriculture Department, Government of Himachal Pradesh, a total of 2,54,104 hectares of area is under Maize cultivation covering 10 districts of Himachal Pradesh, out of which an area of 19,028 hectares (7.48%) has been reported to be affected by Fall Army Worm (FAW). District wise details are at Annexure-I.

(b): Government of India is implementing National Food Security & Nutrition Mission

(NFSNM) with the objective to increase production and productivity of various crops including Coarse Cereals (Maize & Barley). During 2026-27, an amount of Rs. 12.375 lakhs have been approved for Integrated Pest Management intervention under NFSNM – Coarse Cereals for the State of Himachal Pradesh.Technical assistance has been extended through the Integrated Pest Management

(IPM) programme wherein Central Integrated Pest Management Centre (CIPMC), Solan has been conducting regular surveillance, Rapid Roving Surveys, pest monitoring and issuing farmer advisories. Joint field surveys are being undertaken by CIPMC, Solan and the State Agriculture Department.

Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research

(ICAR) has informed that continuous monitoring of FAW were carried out throughout the season along with Agriculture Department of State Government and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and necessary control measures were communicated to them. The updated package of practices (PoP) for management of fall armyworm on maize is shared regularly with All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) Maize centres including Kangra and Bajaura.

Further, as informed by the State Government of Himachal Pradesh, farmers have been assisted through organizing various camps, advising them to adopt IPM, mechanical, chemical & biological techniques as well as use of pheromones traps, Neem based pesticides, Trichoderma & predators etc. to control FAW. State Government in consultation with State Agriculture University, concerned KVKs in Bilaspur, Kangra, Una, Mandi, Chamba, Hamirpur districts has issued timely advisory and supplied the pesticides to the affected areas. Advisory was issued to the farmers through pamphlets, newspapers, radio announcements and other social media platforms.

(c): Government has introduced yield-based Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

(PMFBY) and weather index based Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) from Kharif 2016 to provide comprehensive risk insurance against crop damage from pre-sowing to post-harvest for crops and area notified by the concerned State Government. The scheme is being implemented in Himachal Pradesh. All willing farmers are eligible to enroll under the scheme. The yield losses or losses due to non-preventable risks are covered under the PMFBY scheme and the insured farmers under the scheme, are eligible to receive claims as per the provisions of the operational guidelines of the scheme.

(d) & (e): In Himachal Pradesh including Kangra, Chamba, Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, and Mandi districts CIPMC, Solan has conducted a total of 105 Farmer Field Schools programmes during 2024-25 and 115 programmes during 2025-26 to create awareness among farmers regarding FAW. Further, advisories have also been issued by CIPMC, Solan for management of FAW reported in Maize crop during 2026-27.

Details of advisories issued is at Annexure-II.CIPMC, Solan carried out regular surveillance in maize-growing areas of Himachal Pradesh for early detection and monitoring of FAW. Based on field observations, timely advisories were disseminated to farmers emphasizing IPM practices, including regular field scouting, installation and monitoring of pheromone traps, collection and destruction of egg masses and early instar larvae and periodic release of biological control agents for the management of early instar larvae of Fall Armyworm. Further, there are 25 different insecticides including biopesticides registered in India for the management of FAW in maize (Annexure III) and a need-based application of these approved pesticides is recommended during IPM programmes.

Following the detection of FAW in India, the IIMR in collaboration with State Governments, KVKs and other stakeholders, has developed a comprehensive Package of Practices (PoP) for FAW management in maize covering cultural, mechanical, biological and chemical control measures, which was disseminated to all KVKs, SAUs for adoption.

Further, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) has launched "National Pest Surveillance System" (NPSS) on 15.08.2024, to enhance real-time pest surveillance, crop disease monitoring and AI-based advisory systems across the country. The system utilizes latest digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI and ML) to provide quick and instant solution regarding pest attacks, crop diseases, crop damages etc. by issuing real time crop protection advisory to the farmers. In NPSS, farmers are advised to use bio-control agents or bio- pesticides and the chemical pesticides as a last resort that too Registration Committee

(RC) recommended label claim pesticides.Annexure I Status report of Fall Army Worm till dated 25.07.2026 as per State Agriculture Department- Himachal Pradesh S. Name Name of Area under Maize FAW FAW %age N.o of State District Cultivation (ha) Affected infestation Area (ha) 1 HP Bilaspur 26000 1205 4.63 2 Chamba 15790 500 3.16 3 Hamirpur 28000 1970 7.02 4 Kangra 46393 4175 9.23 5 Mandi 44050 3135 7.12 6 Kullu 10800 50 0.46 7 Una 30451 4561 11.00 8 Shimla 6620 35 0.52 9 Solan 22000 1980 9.00 10 Sirmour 24000 1417 9.00 Total 254104 19028 7.48Annexure-II Advisories issued for management of Fall army worm reported in Maize crop by CIPMC in Himachal Pradesh including Kangra, Chamba, Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Mandi districts during 2026-27.

District S.N Pest/Dise (No of Issued Crop Block Village o. ase advisorie Date s issued) Kangra, Bajinath, Bhawarna, Indora, Jaisinghpur,

16.07.2026 Kangra walamukhi, All and

(10) Khundiyan, villages

17.07.2026 Nagrota suriyan, Panchrukh, Paragpur Bhoranj, Bhota, Hamirpur, Jahu,

16.07.2026 Hamirpur Lambloo, Nadaun, All Maize and Fall Army (8) Tauni Devi villages

1. (2026- 17.07.2026 worm Bamson,

27) Tira Sujanpur, Bharari, Bilaspur 16.07.2026 Bilaspur All Sadar, and

(3) villages Ghumarwin 17.07.2026

17.07.2026 Solan Nalagarh and All and

(2) Kunihar villages

27.07.2026 Una All Amb 20.07.2026

(1) villages Sirmaur All Rajgarh 17.07.2026

(1) villagesAnnexure-III LIST OF INSECTICIDES / BIO-PESTICIDES REGISTERED FOR THE CONTROL OF FALL ARMY WORM IN MAIZE Sl.

Molecule No.

1. Broflanilide 20% SC

2. Chlorantraniliprole 18.50% SC

3. Chlorantraniliprole 00.40% GR

4. Chlorantraniliprole 47.85 % w/w SC

5. Chlorantraniliprole 50% W/w FS

6. Cyantraniliprole 48% w/w FS

7. Flubendiamide 20% WG

8. Isocycloseram 18.1% W/W SC (20 % W/V Sc)

9. Pyridalyl 10 % EC

10. Spinetoram 11.70 %SC

11. Spinetoram 0.1% w/w RB

12. Tetraniliprole 18.18% w/w SC

13. Acephate 45%+ Cypermethrin5%DF

14. Acetamiprid 19.50 % + Chlorantraniliprole 19.50% w/w FS

15. Chlorantraniliprole 0.45% + Fipronil 0.50% + Emamectin Benzoate

0.18% GR

16. Chlorantraniliprole 09.30%+Lambda-cyhalothrin 04.60% ZC

17. Chlorantraniliprole 10% w/w + Novaluron 20% w/w SC

18. Cyantraniliprole 16.9% + Lufenuron 16.9% w/w SC

19. Cyantraniliprole 19.8%w/w + Thiamethoxam 19.8%w/w FS

20. Emamectin benzoate 5% w/w+ Lufenuron 40%w/w WG

21. Emamectin Benzoate 1.5% + Profenofos 35% w/w WDG

22. Lufenuron 4% + Emamectin Benzoate 1.5% EC

23. Novaluron 05.25%+ Emamectin Benzoate 0.9% SC

24. Emamectin Benzoate 2.2% + Permethrin 15.3 % EC

25. Beauveria bassiana 1.5% A.S. (CFU count: 1x10^8 /ml Min.) Strain- AMMFA-BB1, NCMR Accession number MCC 0579 *****