Bamboo flowering hits the State

Aizawl, Nov 24: Forerunners of Mautam (cyclic bamboo flowering) have hit the northeastern parts of Mizoram leaving hundreds of farmers with nothing to harvest.

State agriculture department officials here today said about 122 families were left with no crops to harvest this year due to sudden increase in rat population who eat the bamboo fruits.

As many as 1,534 farmers in nine villages in the area have lost 29 per cent of their expected annual crop as a result of rodent attacks, officials said adding that in Ngopa agriculture circle farmers in 10 villages had lost 25 per cent of their expected annual income from crops.

The agriculture department sent verification teams who found that paddies in six villages had been destroyed by the rats.

At least 160 farming families in Dulte village under Champhai district have 54.17 per cent short of expected yield while in Puilo village it was 53.7 per cent short.

The average loss in the area had been estimated at 25 per cent while rodenticides was found not to so effective in a few areas, the officials added.

UNI