DT Impact: Agri experts inspect Kovai farms infested by giant snails

The inspections were held after reports of large-scale destruction of crops, by African giant snails, was published in DT Next. 

The team comprising Assistant Agricultural Officers L Chandrasekar and R Sivaraj, Assistant Horticulture Revathi and final year BSc students of Tamil Nadu Agricultural College (TNAU) visited the farms in the rural villages to study the pest menace. “We have recorded the presence of giant snails in abundance. The molluscs were found in clusters in a dormant state in tree shades, garbage dumps and wet cavities,” said L Chandrasekar, Assistant Agricultural Officer, Karamadai block in Coimbatore. 

The officers have also recorded the damage to vegetable crops. “These snails cannot be killed using pesticides through conventional methods. If normal fertilizers are sprayed, the greasy creatures would retreat into their shell. So we are planning to use gaseous pesticide sprays,” the officer said. “We are talking to experts in TNAU and will take immediate measures,” said Chandrasekar. 

Meanwhile, farmers expressed happiness with the follow up action taken by the government machinery to end snail menace. “I had incurred a loss of Rs 30,000 as the brinjal harvested at my farm land was damaged by snails. They should be eradicated at the earliest,” said R Moorthi, vice president of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sanga, Coimbatore district, and a resident of Kemmarampalayam.