Increasing number of rats destroying summer-autumn rice

Currently, the summer-autumn rice crop in the sweet rice areas of Ca Mau province is in the tillering and panicle formation stages. This is an important stage that determines the yield of the whole crop. However, in some localities, the situation of rats biting and destroying crops tends to increase, causing many difficulties for farmers in caring for and protecting their crops.

• Summer-autumn rice production direction with profit over 30%
• Summer-autumn rice protection solutions

According to farmers, this year’s summer-autumn rice crop has been damaged by rats more than in previous years. Although before planting, farmers proactively cleaned their fields, used rat poison and other preventive measures from the beginning of the crop. However, their rice fields were still damaged by rats and caused quite high levels of damage.

Mr. Tran Huu Thien, Lung Ba hamlet, Khanh Binh commune, said: “Right after the first rains of the season, we farmers weeded and placed pesticide residue on the banks of the fields to kill rats. However, after planting, rats appeared and caused a lot of damage, especially near the banks or near the garden. We had to build a hut and place pesticide residue inside, to avoid the rat residue being washed away when it rained, wasting our efforts in vain.”

Mr. Tran Huu Thien and many other households in Lung Ba hamlet, Khanh Binh commune have to build huts to place rat poison.

This situation was also recorded in Tran Van Thoi commune. Mr. Nguyen Van Mau, Rach Ruong C hamlet, Tran Van Thoi commune, complained: “This year, there are a lot of rats, when the rice is only about a hand span high, they start to be bitten, causing about 30-40% damage. I have to prune continuously, but up to now, when the rice is two months old and is forming panicles, rats continue to destroy and bite all over the field. With this situation, productivity will certainly decrease.”

Faced with the increasingly complicated situation of rat damage, some households have bought nets or rubber to fence around their fields. Although this measure is only partially effective, it has increased production costs and taken a lot of time and effort from people to care for and protect the crop.

Mr. Nguyen Cao Chien, Rach Ruong C hamlet, Tran Van Thoi commune, added: “From the beginning of this summer-autumn rice crop, I bought pesticides and sprayed them regularly, but they were still damaged by rats. Not only me, but everyone here has suffered the same. Some households, after planting, were completely damaged by rats, and had to harrow the land again to sow a second time. Now, we don’t know how to effectively prevent rats. Every year, farmers only look forward to two rice crops, and with this situation, farmers will surely face difficulties.”

Currently, Mr. Nguyen Van Mau's rice, Rach Ruong C hamlet, Tran Van Thoi commune, is about to bloom, but has been damaged a lot by rats, with a risk of reducing productivity.

Currently, many of the farmer’s summer-autumn rice fields are in the earing stage and about to bloom. If the damage caused by rats is not controlled, it will affect the yield and quality of the rice at harvest.

Therefore, people need to raise awareness of protecting rice fields, proactively clean the fields, implement synchronous measures to kill rats, regularly visit the fields to promptly detect and handle them. Above all, farmers need to coordinate with local authorities to have effective measures to prevent and control harmful rats to protect rice fields from the risk of damage.

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Source: https://baocamau.vn/gia-tang-tinh-trang-chuot-can-pha-lua-he-thu-a40025.html