Farmers trained to fight rodent menace

Imphal, May 18 (UNI) The Manipur Agriculture department has started a campaign to fight the menace caused by the rodents.

Flowering of bamboo and rampant deforestation have led to loss of agricultural products and increase in rodent population.

The campaign has been launched by the state Agriculture Minister P H Parijat, officials said here.

Officials said there were about 100 species of rodents in the country with a population of around 1800 million. The number is expected to rise to 4000 million in 2020.

The state Agriculture Minister has appealed to the farmers to be vigilant.

The rodents attack flowering bamboo plants and flowering has already started in Manipur, which is a matter of concern, officials added.

Bamboo is grown in about 3692 sq kms of land, mostly in the hilly districts. Rodents menace earlier had led to near famine situation in some districts, officials added.

Officials appealed to the people to protect environment so that the rodent menace can be faced.

Earlier the Manipur Adventure and Allied Sports Institute also conducted a research in Tamenglong district.

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