Rats have attacked aman fields on a large scale in various parts of Bhairab upazila in Kishoreganj this season. Farmers say the attacks are not easing despite poison, traps and other measures, and they fear a poor harvest.

Agriculture officials say they are advising farmers in the field on how to kill rats in rice fields.

Aman fields in almost every village of seven unions of Bhairab, including Rasulpur, Sadekpur, Bhabanipur and Teyarichar, have been damaged by rats, and there is little chance of getting paddy from these fields.

Shaista Mia, a farmer in Sadekpur village, said: "Because the weather was favourable this year, I grew aman on most of my land. We dreamed of bringing home an extra crop. But rats have attacked that dream. Of my 10 bighas of rice, five are in bad shape. The rats are cutting down all the plants in the field. Neither poison nor traps are working."

Alim Uddin, a farmer in Rasulpur village, said he took a loan from a local NGO to grow aman on five bighas, hoping for a good yield this year. But the rats struck before the crop could come in.

"Rats cut rice plants in my field every day. I tied polythene around the field to get rid of them, but that hasn't worked either. The way the plants were growing, there would have been a bumper crop. But at the rate the rats are cutting the plants, I have given up hope of a good yield," he said.

Upazila agriculture officer Aklima Begum said rat attacks are heavier this year on early aman varieties. The agriculture office is giving farmers advice and support in the field to kill rats.

"Agriculture officers are helping farmers with traditional bamboo traps, poison baits, and planting banana trees in rice fields to give rat-eating owls a place to perch. Aman has already suffered considerable damage, but we still hope for a good yield on the remaining land," she said.

The upazila's aman target this year was 2,230 hectares, but 2,270 hectares were actually planted.

Because the weather was favourable this year, farmers in the upazila became interested in growing aman as an extra crop. Boro is the main rice crop farmers in the area grow.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.