Aizawl, Oct 1 (NationPress) In the midst of an outbreak of African Swine Fever that has led to the death of over 9,400 pigs and has impacted around 3,700 families across eight districts, farmers in Mizoram are now facing daunting crop losses due to a spike in the rodent population triggered by the flowering of bamboo, as reported by officials.

According to officials from the forest and agriculture departments, a significant rodent outbreak linked to the bamboo flowering phenomenon is raising famine alarms in Mizoram, which shares borders with Assam and Tripura and has international boundaries with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The flowering of certain bamboo species can result in an influx of rodents into farmlands, where they consume both standing crops and stored rice in granaries. There are growing concerns about the potential for a famine-like situation.

Mizoram's economy is largely agriculture-based, with roughly 70 percent of its population relying on farming, including methods like “Jhum” (slash-and-burn agriculture).

An official from the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department stated that the rodent infestation has severely impacted 122 villages across four of the 11 districts, affecting approximately 4,000 families as swarms of rats have invaded their fields.

The extent of the damage is alarming, with over 1,737 hectares of rice fields devastated out of a total of 6,869.954 hectares of agricultural land in the state.

Rodents have not only devastated paddy fields but have also destroyed other essential crops like maize, sugarcane, cowpea, ginger, eggplant, chilli, pumpkin, sesame, and cucumber in several areas.

The department has provided farmers with rodenticides and other poisonous substances to tackle the rodent issue, while farmers have resorted to traditional methods such as slingshots and locally crafted traps—known as ‘vaithang,’ ‘mangkhawng,’ and ‘thangchep’—to eradicate the rodents.

Officials have advised farmers to alternate their methods between traps, chemicals, and other techniques, as rodents can become ‘bait shy’ after multiple exposures to the same bait.

To enhance the effectiveness of poisoning, village council leaders are encouraged to organize mass poisoning campaigns in the affected paddy fields, as per the official statement.

Despite various measures, the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department encounters significant hurdles, including poor connectivity, insufficient funding, and monsoon rains, making it challenging to reach remote areas where farmers could gain the most assistance and resources.

The delayed reports from farmers and affected areas have also contributed to the destruction of crops before any preventive measures could be implemented to mitigate losses.

The rodent outbreak has been noted in numerous villages across Serchhip, Mamit, Lunglei, and Saitual districts. This phenomenon, locally termed ‘Thingtam,’ is part of a rare natural cycle that occurs every 45 to 48 years. The last significant occurrence of this bamboo flowering event was in 1977.

Mizoram experienced similar rodent problems in 2007 and 2022, where at least nine districts faced minor impacts.

Experts assert that the synchronized flowering of bamboo results in a sudden food surplus, which boosts rat population growth. However, this is followed by a food shortage, leading to a significant invasion of crops as the rats search for food.

“Thingtam” refers to a cyclical, large-scale famine in Mizoram caused by the mass flowering of specific bamboo species, which subsequently results in a rat population explosion that devastates crops and stored grains.

Mizoram's Agriculture Minister P.C. Vanlalruata has previously sought special financial and technical support from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to assist farmers impacted by “Thingtam.”

Historically, in 1959, the Mizo Hills suffered a devastating famine, known in Mizo history as ‘Mautam.’ This famine was attributed to bamboo flowering, which led to a boom in the rat population.

After consuming bamboo seeds, the rats turned their attention to crops, invading huts and houses, becoming a plague for the villages. The destruction wrought by the rats was catastrophic, leaving scant grain for harvest.

For survival, many Mizos resorted to gathering roots and leaves from the forests, while others migrated to distant lands, with a significant number succumbing to starvation.

The establishment of Mizoram, formerly part of Assam, was closely linked to famine. The two-decade-long insurgency (1966 to 1986) led by the Mizo National Front (MNF), under the leadership of Laldenga, was reportedly triggered by the central government's neglect of the Mizo people's plight caused by ‘mautam’ or famine.

The MNF signed a landmark peace agreement with the central government in 1986, leading to Mizoram becoming the 23rd state of India in 1987.