Farmers in Quynh Luu: Coping with the rat infestation damaging rice crops.

(Baonghean) - Hot, dry weather with little rain creates favorable conditions for field mice to multiply rapidly. Farmers in Quynh Luu are actively eradicating mice to protect their rice crops.

During the 2015 summer-autumn crop season, Quynh Luu district planted over 5,800 hectares of rice. Despite difficulties due to water shortages, which delayed the planting season, farmers reported that the rice crop developed very well this year. As in previous years, this time of year is usually when pests and diseases, especially blast and stem borers, are rampant, but this year, the pest and disease situation is minimal. However, before they could celebrate not having to deal with pests and diseases, farmers faced another challenge: rats damaging the rice crop during the heading stage.

Many rice fields are riddled with damaged crops. Seeing more and more withered plants appearing in their fields, farmers are heartbroken because even if the rice sprouts again, it won't guarantee a successful harvest or yield. Ms. Ho Thi Huong, from Hamlet 7, Quynh Ba Commune, has 3 sao (approximately 0.3 hectares) of rice, mainly BC15 variety. Ms. Huong shared: “Perhaps because the rice is in the heading stage and the rice is sweet, the rats come to eat it. They only like to gnaw on the rice; they eat very little of the bait, only a few die. Sometimes when I go to check on the rice, I see rats scurrying around in the fields and I don't know what to do. We even asked for lubricating oil, bought camphor, and flooded the fields, but the rats still keep coming to destroy the rice. I'm very worried…”

Ms. Ho Thi Huong (Hamlet 7, Quynh Ba) placed rat poison.

Not only Mrs. Huong's family but also most of the rice fields of other families in Quynh Ba commune have been severely damaged by rats. Observations in the fields show that at this time, most rice paddies are being attacked by rats. Farmers are mobilizing all methods such as: setting up stakes to scare away rats, fencing the fields with plastic sheeting, using traps and poison to limit the rat damage, but these methods only help to prevent some of the damage, not to completely eradicate it. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Giap, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Ba commune, said: In the 2015 summer-autumn crop, the entire commune planted more than 263 hectares of rice, with 80% being the BC15 variety. This year there was no rain, all the venomous snakes that hunt rats died, and although there are many cats, very few eat rats... so the rats are multiplying rapidly; in the fields, rats are severely damaging the rice crops.

Faced with such widespread rat damage to rice crops, the People's Committee has launched a campaign to eradicate rats using various methods. However, the effectiveness has not been high. The biggest concern is that farmers are currently using rat poison, but it is not very effective. Digging holes to catch rats is also very difficult because after land conversion, each field has an area of ​​3-8 sao (approximately 0.3-0.8 hectares). The field embankments are 3-4 meters wide, making it very difficult to dig up rats. "During the winter crop season, the commune provided support in the form of 500 VND per rat tail, so farmers were able to eliminate a large number of rats. Therefore, there should be a common mechanism for the whole district, a general direction from the district, to effectively limit the problem. There must be a coordinated campaign; if one commune implements rat eradication while others haven't, the effectiveness will certainly not be high," Mr. Nguyen Xuan Giap shared.

With little rain and warm weather, rats easily breed and multiply, causing serious damage to rice fields in communes such as Quynh Ba, Quynh Giang, Quynh Ngoc, and Quynh Dien. To proactively minimize damage and protect agricultural production, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quynh Luu district is developing a rat eradication plan to protect the 2015 crop; advising farmers to use all methods to eliminate rats from their homes to the fields. This work requires close cooperation between farmers and local authorities...

Thanh Nhan

(Quynh Luu Radio Station)