Chennai, Dec 6 : Farmers of the coastal delta districts of Tamil Nadu like Myladuthurai have demanded that the state agricultural department bring back the integrated rodent control scheme to check the rats that are destroying the crops.
Soundararajan, a farmer in Myladuthurai told IANS: “After the incessant rains and water inundation during the past month, we somehow managed to save a part of our crop by draining out the water.We are now facing the threat from rats that are coming out in large numbers in order to destroy our crops in the flowering stage.”
A farmer who cultivates paddy on 2.5 hectares of land in Komal said that more than 50 farmers with 1 to 5 hectares each of land are working together in agriculture.He said that the farmers’ are asking the state agriculture department to bring back the integrated rodent control scheme that was very useful to contain the rat menace.
However, agriculture department officials said that instead of using chemicals and poison to control the rats, it was better to use bird perches near farmlands.They feel that owls will devour the rats during night time.
However, farmers want the agriculture department to implement the integrated rodent control scheme as it was more effective.
M.
Swaminathan, a farmer at Villupuram, told IANS: “The threat of rats in large numbers is very real and containing this using bird perches and expecting the owls to feed on them is not a proper method.The integrated rodent control program must be implemented by the agriculture department.”
Farmers used to lay poison cakes as part of an integrated pest management program.The move was criticised by animal lovers and social activists as this was leading to the death of birds and other animals that were in no way connected with crop destruction.
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