Kendrapada: Large tracts of black gram, also known as Biri, were affected by swarming caterpillars in Kendrapada district. The pest attack has damaged Biri saplings in several riverside villages, including Andara, Siddhabali, Dandisahi, Singhgaon, Krushnadaspur, Raulia, Kolathia, Penthapal, Nahiadia, Taradipal and Alapua, with other villages under Pattamundai block.The affected villages were hit by floods two months ago. After the floodwaters receded, the high-moisture conditions encouraged the rapid growth of wild grasses and attracted agricultural pests. Black gram, or Vigna mungo, is highly sensitive to waterlogging, making many flood-affected fields vulnerable to pest attacks.“The pest problem is not alarming in the district at present. Officials of the agriculture department and Krushi Vigyan Kendra recently visited the affected areas in Pattamundai and Kendrapada blocks and provided pesticides to farmers at a 50% subsidy. The infestation has not crossed the economic threshold limit,” said Kendrapara chief district agriculture officer Hemant Kumar Samal. He advised farmers to regularly monitor their crops and use prescribed pesticides to prevent the pests from spreading. Awareness camps are also being organised in the villages to train farmers in the proper use of pesticides.Farmer Pratap Rout of Dandisahi said villagers had planted Biri after losing their paddy crops in the floods. However, the caterpillars destroyed the Rabi crop, while administrative assistance was yet to reach them. He said the pest attack began over a week ago. Sarat Behera, a farmer of Penthapala, said most crops had been destroyed. Those who could afford pest-control measures now expected less than one-eighth of their usual harvest.Prahalad Jena, a farmer of Alapua who cultivated Biri over his two acres of land, is now worried after his Biri crops have been affected by pests. “I was planning to harvest the Biri in December. But the pests have eaten major chunks of the saplings. I tried everything to control it and failed. But the pest is spreading rapidly,” he said.