RANGPUR, Oct 23, 2018 (BSS) – Agriculturists at a function today said the
farmers, agriculture workers, students and teachers killed over 9.28 lakh
rats saving around 7,000 tonnes of paddy worth about Taka 14 crore last year
in Rangpur agriculture region.
With destroying 12 to 15 percent of cereal and other crops, rats damage
boundaries of arable lands, roads, flood control embankments, irrigation
canals and other properties worth over Taka 2,000 crore annually in the
country, they mentioned.
They disclosed the information at launching function of the Rat
Elimination Campaign-2018 and distribution of prizes among successful rat-
killers of all five districts under the region.
The Rangpur Regional Office of the Department of Agriculture Extension
(DAE), its Rangpur district and Sadar upazila offices jointly organised the
function at conference room of the DAE’s Additional Director in the city.
Chairman of Rangpur District Council and President of district Mohila
Awami League Advocate Chhafia Khanom attended the function and inaugurated
the campaign as the chief guest.
With Regional Additional Director of DAE Agriculturist Md Shah Alam in the
chair, it’s Deputy Director for Rangpur Agriculturist Dr Md Sarwarul Haque
and Deputy Director for Gaibandha AKM Ruhul Amin addressed the function as
special guests.
Deputy Directors and Additional Deputy Directors (Plant Protection) of
DAE, District Training Officers, Upazila Agriculture Officers, Agriculture
Extension Officers, Sub-assistant Agriculture Officers and farmers from
allover the region were present.
Additional Deputy Director (Plant Protection) Agriculturist Matlubar
Rahman of the DAE delivered PowerPoint presentation narrating the damages
being caused by rats to crops and properties annually and suggested the way-
outs.
“Rats destroy 5-7 percent Aman paddy, 8-12 percent wheat, 5-7 percent
potato, 6-9 percent different fruits, 4-5 percent vegetables, 8-9 percent
coconut, 20 percent stored crops and 7-10 percent irrigation water causing
massive losses annually,” he said.
Agriculturist Alam said 3.29-lakh agriculture activists, farmers,
students, teachers and common people participated in the campaign last year
and killed 9.28 lakh rats saving 7,000 tonnes of paddy worth about Taka 14
crore in Rangpur agriculture region.
“Rats annually destroy huge paddy sufficient for feeding 50-54 lakh people
in the country,” he said putting stress on creating social awareness for
eliminating rats to save huge crops for attaining sustainable national food
security.
The chief guest urged agriculture officials, experts and workers, farmers
and common people to turn the rat elimination campaign into an effective
social movement to save huge crops for food security.
Later, she distributed prizes among farmers, sub-assistant agriculture
officers and educational institutions of the region for killing maximum
number of rats last year.