Rajshahi Correspondent

Rats and borer have been damaging maize crops of hundreds of acres of land in Mohanpur upazila. The maize farmers of the upazila failing to contain the pests and the rats by using pesticides and poison in their fields, are at a loss what to do.

Maize, which has appeared as a profitable cash crop in the region in recent years, has been cultivated widely in Mohanpur and other upazilas of the district during the current season. The maize farming has been doubled this year compared with last year's volume.

The maize farmers said that due to rat and pest attack, the maize plants were dying. The stem borer are cutting the stem and the root of the maize plant specially at night but the rats are ravaging the plants both by the day and at night.

Maize farmer Mozibur Rahman of Moahanpur thana said, the pests and the rats attack in the maize field had increased alarmingly during the last twenty days.

They said, hundreds of farmers of the upazila were earlier encouraged to cultivate maize as there was no sign of hreat of pest and insect attack in that time. But they do not know whether they will be able to recover production cost, let alone profit.

They stated that the presence of the rat and the stem borer in the maize fields Pathalia village of the upazila were first noticed wherefrom it spread to all other villages of the upazila.

Abdul Mannan, another maize farmer of Baksimul village informed, he cultivated maize in 15-bighas of land but due to pest and insect attack in the fields, he has to replant those. According to sources of Agriculture Extension Directorate at Mohanpur, during this season a total of 1,150 hectares of land has been brought under Rabi type of maize and 1,265 hectares under Farid type of maize production compared with 855 hectares of land during last year.

Ahmed Hossain Iqbal, Agriculture Officer of Mohanpur said, the sweet delicate stem of the maize is being attacked by rat and the stem borer. He said, the farmers are being advised to use insecticides and pesticides to control the menace.

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