CHANDPUR, Apr 11: Hundreds of farmers in Kochua upazila are worried as their IRRI-Boro paddy fields are infested with rats for the past few weeks.
The farmers' hope for getting bumper harvest is being shattered by rats' infestation. They have tried to drive the rats out of their fields but in vain. Rats coming from neighbouring fields cut down paddy with their teeth.
Dulal Mia, a farmer at Noorpur village, said, "I am using pesticides to prevent rats from entering our fields but to no effect at all. They migrate from here and there".
Seraj Mia, another farmer from Ashrafpur village, said, "I have set up rat traps in the fields but by no way they could be stopped."
According to Upazila Krishi Office sources, 12,615 hectares of land have been brought under IRRI-Boro paddy cultivation in Kochua this year.
Kochua Upazila Krishi Officer Sofayel Hossain said, "The rats infest the paddy fields which is worrying all the farmers".
He has called upon the farmers to use lanirat (rat poison), Roma and gas tablets in the fields and thus the paddy fields could be freed from rat infestation.
He has already directed the sub-assistant agri staff and officers to go to the fields and advise the farmers to follow this advice in order to save their paddy from further damage caused by rat attack.
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