VIJAYAWADA: Catching of rats that destroy black gram crops is an income source for several families in villages of Krishna and Guntur districts.From March, most farmers cultivate black gram after harvesting paddy. This is the main season for hiring rat catchers. K Narayana, a rat-catcher, says he sets up about 150 traps per two acres.
“After identifying the rat holes in the fields, we fix a trap and, after two days, we check them for any catch. The process is repeated five times during the crop season to protect black gram from the rodents. We charge `15 to `50 for trapping each rat. This way we earn nearly Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000 in three months.” For nearly 70 families living in the surrounding villages of Vuyyuru and Pammarru in Krishna district, rat-catching is a part-time source of income.