Zakir Azad, Cumilla

In the Bahmanara upazila of Cumilla and surrounding areas, there has been an attack of rats on the Aman rice fields cultivated by farmers. Farmers are worried about this. Due to the favorable weather conditions, there is a possibility of a bumper crop of Aman this season, but rats have become a thorn in the farmer's dreams. In different areas of the upazila, rats of different species have made holes in the Aman field and started cutting the rice plants. The harvest created by the farmer's pain is going to the rat's stomach. Aman farmers said that they are not getting much benefit from using various methods to control rats in those lands.

According to Brahmanpara Upazila Agriculture Department sources, Aman paddy has been planted on 5 thousand 430 hectares of land in this upazila this season. The production target has been fixed at 24 to 25 thousand metric tons of paddy. Favorable weather conditions and availability of adequate water have resulted in good yield potential. Green-golden rice seedlings swaying in the field. Some seeds have also arrived. Somewhere the rice has caught light. But in the meantime, the attack of Idur has become a nightmare for the farmers. However, the Agriculture Office says that the attack of Idur is undesirable at this time. Because a few days ago, an operation to kill Idu was carried out here.

After visiting the villages of Chandipur, Malapara, Dulalpur, Sidlai, Ramnagar in the upazila and talking to the farmers in the last few days, it is known that the attack of the weevil started just when the grain of the paddy field started to grow and the paddy was getting fertilized. In some paddy fields, Idur has cut the rice plants in such a way that it looks like someone has cut them with sharp scissors. As a result, the green trees in the paddy fields have turned yellow. Especially in the paddy fields around the homesteads, the rat attack is very high. Many farmers are using various techniques and drugs to kill mice but are not getting good results. This year the field rice is good but the farmers are suffering due to the rats.

Noore Alam of Chandla area of the upazila said that the weather was favorable since the beginning of the Aman season this year. The whole Aman field is becoming green with the tireless efforts and labor of the farmers. Aman farmers are dreaming of a good harvest this year. In the meantime, rat infestation has appeared in some lands of the upazila. At such a time, the dreams of Aman farmers are going to be shattered due to the attack of rats on the raw rice of the land. Rat nest in Aman field Farmer's hand on head Lokman, a farmer of Lukbhoomi village of the upazila, said, I have cultivated aman on 3000 acres of land by borrowing and lending. I was hoping that there would be a good yield of paddy this year. But suddenly before the harvest, rats attacked the land. We are using various techniques as suggested by the Upazila Agriculture Office to control rats, but it is not possible to completely control rats. I got worried.

Satter Miah, aman farmer of Ramnagar village, said that this year, due to the favorable weather, we cultivated aman in most of the land. Our dream was that the yield would be good this year, we would cultivate paddy and bring it home as an additional crop. But the rat attacked us in that dream. Aman's dream of a bumper crop is going to the rat's stomach.

However, upazila agriculture officer agriculturist Masud Rana disagreed with the matter. He said, I joined this upazila only a few days ago. I have no information about rat infestation in Aman paddy fields. And that's not supposed to happen. As far as I know there has been a rat extermination campaign here. I am new comer, not started field visit yet. I will find out the matter and try to remedy it.