NAGAPATTINAM: Rat-catchers are in demand as rodents are destroying flowering paddy crops in the
south blocks of Nagapattinam.
“Rats have attacked acres of crops in our block. We are finding at least a dozen rats per acre or two. We have to catch the rats manually because birds can ingest the chemicals used to kill the rats. However, rat-catchers are difficult to find and hire,” said SR Tamilselvan, a farmer-representative from Palaiyur.
Rodent menace is prevalent in Nagapattinam, Thirumarugal, Keezhaiyur, and Kilvelur, where crops were mostly cultivated through ‘direct sowing’.
This method uses less space when compared to the transplantation method. Farmers say the reduced space between the crops makes it difficult for them to spot the rodents.
Rat-catchers are mainly in demand due to the instructions from the Forest Department that the peacocks which come to the paddy fields to eat the grains, should not be harmed by the rat-poison. The catchers are now making use of this increased demand by earning as much as possible.
“We have been catching rodents such as mice, rats and bandicoots for a long time. Many of us left this profession and migrated to other jobs over the years. This is a peak season for us to earn. We keep our specialised trapping devices called ‘Thanjavur Kitty’ in the paddy fields. We keep 60 such traps per acre to
catch the rats and get Rs 500 per day,” said M Thambikani, a 60-year-old rat-catcher.
Experts suggest several chemical-free methods to keep rodent menace away.
“The farmers could leave a little more space between the crops so that rats can be exposed to sunlight. The farmers should also fill up the furrows. They can also set up Kiluvai branches so that owls and other such birds could devour the rodents. We advise farmers to avoid chemicals completely,” said K Chandrasekar, a Subject Matter Specialist (Entomology), from ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
A senior official from the Agricultural Department said, “We would take inputs from the farmers and try to deal with this menace. We will also consult experts and officials from the Forest Department.”