Rodent attacks on paddy cultivation in Mizoram

Aizawl, Oct. 3 (PTI): Flowering of a bamboo species in Mizoram has led to rodent attacks and more than 572 hectares of paddy in nine of its 11 districts are affected by it, a senior official of the state agriculture department said.

The infestation was reported in 114 villages and a number of farmers have been affected by it, the department director James Lalsiamliana said on Monday.

The state reported an increase in rodent population from about August due to the flowering of 'Rawnal' (Dendrocalamus) bamboo species. It is believed to be a preliminary sign of 'Thingtam' or flowering of 'Bambusa Tulda' bamboo (Rawthang in local parlance) species due in 2025.

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Mizoram, which has a mainly agrarian economy and rice is the staple diet of its people, experienced a famine-like situation due to 'Mautam" or flowering of Melocanna Baccifera in 2007.

"The intensity of rodent attacks varies from 0.5 to 10 per cent in the rodent hit areas of Mizoram now. However, all paddy fields in Mualthuam North in Lunglei district and Tuirum village in Mamit district on the Tripura border have been completely destroyed by rats, " Lalsiamliana told PTI.

In Karlui-I village in Lawngtlai district bordering Myanmar, crops on one acre out of 1.5-acre jhum land have been destroyed by the rats, he said.

Mamit and Lunglei districts are the worst affected. Rodent attacks on crops were reported in 255.7 hectares of paddy in 19 villages of Mamit district and in another 198 hectares of paddy field in 28 villages of Lunglei district, the official said.

The government has undertaken "massive efforts" to control the rat population by providing rodenticide to the farmers and training them on mass poisoning of rats since August, Lalsiamliana said.

Seventy per cent of the people in Mizoram are dependent on agriculture and mainly practice jhum or shifting cultivation, which gives poor yield.

With the efforts of the government jhum farming is being steadily replaced with horticulture or long-term plantation like betel nuts, grapes and pineapple.

'Thingtam', which occurs in 48 years cycle, had last taken place in the state in 1977.

Famine caused by rodent attacks played an important role in the political history of the state. The two-decade-long insurgency from 1966 spearheaded by the erstwhile underground Mizo National Front (MNF) leader Laldenga, who later became the chief minister, was trigerred allegedly by the Centre's negligence towards the plight of the Mizos caused by 'Mautam' famine.

The MNF had signed a historic Mizoram peace accord with the Centre in 1986 and Mizoram became the 23rd state of the country in 1987.