23 November 2011
Soreang (AFP) .- At the beginning of the rainy season, rats have begun to threaten rice crops in the district of Bandung. Based on the statements recorded in the Department of Agriculture, Plantation and Forestry (Distanbunhut) Regency Bandung, the pests have attacked so far at least 49 hectares of rice since the 1 November 2011. With earlier reports coming in, the amount of land infestated by rats numbers about 167 hectares.
One farmer in the village of Bojongkunci, District Pameungpeuk, Burhanudin (69) said, the rats have twice attacked the harvest of approximately 1.7 hectares of paddy on his land . "As a result of rodent pests and some other problems, my land produced no more than 3.5 tons of rice. Usualy it produces up to eight tons he said when interviewed.
According Burhanudin, the price of paddy rice which he cultivates usually reaches Rp 4,000 per kilogram. With the shrinking of the total yield to around 4.5 tons, he estimated his loss to be USD 4.5 million in a single harvest.
Burhanudin asserted, that the current rat problem still haunts his land. Especially with the increased rainfall from the beginning of the month, the mice population that invaded land belonging to Burhanudin began to increase.
(as read in the Pikiran Rakyat)
wo 23 nov 2011 - 21:49