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With most parts of India except some regions of east and north-east India receiving above-normal rains this monsoon season, standing crops across several areas are seeing increased attacks of pests and diseases, a direct fallout of humid weather.
This, in turn, has meant that farmers' expenses on sprays and pesticides have gone up considerably this kharif season. Worryingly, unless the higher use is controlled properly, it could have an impact on the final yields.
Overall, the area under kharif crops as of the first week of August this year was almost 5 per cent more than last year, with paddy,
