Jashore Aman growers count heavy losses as rats invade their fields

JASHORE, Oct 01: Farmers in Chowgacha upazila of Jashore have plunged into despair, apprehending colossal losses as rats are eating up crops in their Aman paddy fields this season.
It was reported, Aman paddy on 18,240 hectares of land have come under rat attacks in the upazila.
Farmers expected to have a good Aman yield due to their proper caring and favourable weather as the green and fresh plants have sprouted rice grains extensively and within a few days the rice grains will come out.
In such a situation, rat attacks have massively spoiled Aman fields, dashing farmers' hope to bring paddy home. On Tuesday, while visiting Andarkota, Andulia, Kharincha, Madhavpur, Singjuli and other areas in the upazila, the correspondent found polythene sheets hanging on the bamboo sticks.
When polythene sheets vibrate with the slightest breeze, they make a sound and hearing this sound, the rates flee away.
Farmers are using such method to protect the paddy fields from the attack of rats.
That is why it has become quite popular among the farmers of Dhanbari upazila of Tangail district.
On the right and left sides of the road, in the paddy fields, many black and white polythene sheets and black clothes are hung on the top of many bamboo sticks to drive away rats.
Zahir Uddin, a farmer of Ramakrishnapur village, said rats generally attack the field during the Amon season. But this seasonal menace of rats has increased manifold.
He said the rats that eat up young rice grains do not stay in the hole.
They live in swamps, bushes, forests and trees. At night they go out and cut paddy and return to their habitats again during daytime. The rats look much bigger than a normal mouse. They can move very fast.
Farmers are trying to drive away rats by hanging flags and using crowbars to protect the paddy fields.
In many places, farmers stay awake at night to set hanging nets and hand-made traps to kill the rats. Many chase rats from fields at night by using flashlights.
Abu Taiyab, a farmer of Sinhajhuli village in the upazila, said the rats cut the roots of the rice plants and make many big holes in the field.
They do not attack much during daytime due to human presence. However, the rats come out of their holes at night. So the polythene sheets are used. Rats change location when they hear a sound.
At night, when the polythene moves in the wind and makes a sound, the rats run away.
Rashedul Islam, information officer of the upazila's agriculture office, said this year, varieties of paddy were cultivated on 18,240 hectares of land in the upazila.
This season, rat attack in the paddy fields has alarmingly increased.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Mosabbir Hossain said farmers have themselves hung polythene sheets in the paddy fields to contain the rat attacks.