Rodents in Mizoram pose threat to the farmers

Aizawl, May 8 : With just few months left for the complete cyclic bamboo flowering, rodents are witnessed in several parts of the Mizoram.

The fear of rodents begun after these were seen in the districts like Kolasib, Lunglei, Serrichip, Aizawl and Saiha.

The latest reports say hordes of rodents were witnessed in Siata and Inak in Saiha district also, which according to eyewitnesses have migrated from the neighbouring Myanmar.

According to the official sources here today about 50 per cent of the state's bamboo have begun to flower. Therefore the rodents are posing serious threat to the farmers.

''The rats have devoured paddy, maize and other crops in the region,'' state Agriculture department Plant Protection Officer James Lalsiamliana told UNI.

Mr James, who also heads the rodent control team, said that so far 14 rodent (murid) species were identified on the basis of specimens or photographs.

Another 20 species would also be seen, he added.

Agriculture officer also underlined that empowering the farming community through mobilization of media and publicity on timely rodent management and scope of growing alternative crops must be emphasised.

''We would be covering as many as 200 villages to control the rodent population immediately, where the respective farmers would be given rattraps and rodenticides at free of cost, Mr James said.

Ready-to-use bait evaluation using acute rodenticides, zinc phosphide to tackle rodents at higher intensities and inaccessible areas will also be conducted, he added.

UNI