Hundreds of hectares of rice fields in four subdistricts of Cirebon regency had been attacked by rats, causing a 10 to 20 percent drop in harvest, the result of a field observation by ANTARA said on Tuesday. The four subdistricts are Panguragan, Suranenggala, Kapetakan, and Gunung Jati. Maman, a Suranenggala Kidul farmer, said the number of rats had been growing rapidly since July 2008, attacking rice fields in greater numbers since early this month from the direction of which is also the location of a dumping place of worn-out articles and goods, and wreckage. A similar complaint was also voiced by Dasima, a farmer from Grogol village, Kapetakan subdistrict, who said that practically no plot of the rice fields escaped the mass attacks of the rats. Some of the rice growers who have become worried by the rat attacks in the past few weeks, decided to conduct an earlier harvest, which caused some of their harvest of lower quality. "But it is still better than no harvest at all," they said. Some other farmers said that as the result of the dry season, and the mass rat attacks, each hectare produced an average of 3 tons, while under normal conditions may reach 6.5 tons per ha. Head of the Agriculture, Plantations, and Cattle Breeding Service H Ali Effendi said rats had always attacked the fields during planting season, but the local relevant authorities had also taken special measures to eradicate the pest.
