Farmers face difficulties due to rat damage

(Baonghean.vn) - This 2016 autumn-winter crop, Nghi Loc produces 1,500 hectares of corn, 437 hectares of peanuts and 300 hectares of vegetables. Currently, hundreds of hectares of winter crops are being damaged by rats.

Winter corn in Nghi Loc is heavily damaged by rats.

At this time, corn has sprouted cobs and young seeds, peanuts are in the flowering and tubers stage, vegetables are in the growing stage, and some early planting areas are being harvested. This is also the time when corn and peanuts are most seriously damaged by rats. Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam, hamlet 11, Nghi My commune, said: "This year, my family planted 2 sao of corn, and currently the corn is in the young seed stage and is being severely damaged by rats, especially after the rain, rats appear more. For now, we can only implement manual extermination to limit rat damage and protect crops."

Winter crops in Nghi Kieu, Nghi Lam, Nghi Van... (Nghi Loc) communes are also being seriously damaged by rats on a large scale. Currently, in many fields in Nghi Kieu commune, corn is being severely damaged.

Faced with that situation, the district's agricultural sector has propagated and directed localities to mobilize people to go to the fields to kill rats using many manual methods such as: clearing bushes, digging rat holes, pouring water into holes, smoking, setting traps and baits at night to kill rats. At the same time, the entire population is mobilized to respond to the campaign to kill rats with the motto: "Every household kills rats".

Nghi Kieu farmers go to the fields to kill rats

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Quang, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghi Loc district, said: “To protect crops, people must kill rats properly, ensuring absolute safety for people, livestock and poultry; minimize the use of chemicals, and strictly prohibit the use of electric nets to set rat traps. Focus on protecting the canal system, internal roads and organize the collection and destruction of dead rats far from residential areas, schools and water sources to ensure environmental hygiene and safety.

In particular, right after harvesting the winter-spring rice, farmers clean the fields, clear away straw, and regularly cut weeds on the banks to limit hiding and breeding places for rats.

The captured mice are collected in one place for processing.

Van Xinh - Thu Hien