The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Madaripur

Cultivators of wheat of the district are expressing their helplessness as their crops are being eaten up by rats.

They are helpless before the devastating tiny animals. Two floods engulfed paddy, jute and sugarcane last year, in the November of the same year Sidr destroyed 'koloi, mushoori and paddy field.

A farmer Eskander of Krishnanagar village under Kalkini Upazila of the district said that former managed a loan of Taka ten thousand from Krishi Bank to cultivate wheat but rats are cutting his crops. How could he repay his borrowed money with nuisance interest, if such devastating nuisance is going on, he told.

According to the Agriculture Extension Department source, 850 hectares of land have, been brought under Wheat cultivation which is 240 hectares more than the target. Most of the farmers have become dependent on wheat after the destruction of other crops like jute, paddy, sugarcane, koloi, mushuri by two devastating natural calamities last year, Agriculture Extension Department source said.

A wheat farmer Belal Bepari of Madaripur Sadar said that he had brought 60 of his total land under wheat cultivation as the price of flour is higher than rice. But he expressed his disappointment as most of the wheat plants have already been destroyed by rats. Another farmer Abdul Wazed Bepari said that he earned lot of money by selling wheat last year, So he cultivated wheat this year with a great hope but the devastating rats shattered his hopes.

The above farmers expect that government would come forward to prevent the nuisance of the rats.