Rodent outbreak after bamboo flowering hits 5,600 Mizoram farmers in 170 villages

Aizawl, Oct 27: The rodent menace linked to the mass flowering of ‘rawthing’ (bambusa tulda) bamboo has spread across Mizoram, affecting over 5,600 farming families in 170 villages across all 11 districts, the state Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department said.

In Lunglei district alone, around 600 families have suffered extensive paddy damage over the past six weeks, with eight more villages recently hit despite ongoing poisoning drives and rodenticide supplies. In Serchhip, officials and village councils jointly carried out mass poisoning operations in 13 villages on Friday.

While paddy has been the hardest hit, other crops, including maize, sugarcane, cowpea, ginger, chilli, and cucumber, have also been damaged in several areas. Authorities are using bromadiolone and zinc phosphide to curb the infestation, while villagers employ slingshots and traditional traps such as vaithang, mangkhawng, and thangchep.

Officials admitted the state was underprepared for ‘Thingtam’, the cyclical flowering of ‘rawthing’ bamboo that occurs roughly every 48 years – last seen in 1977 – and is known to trigger rodent population explosions similar to the ‘Mautam’ phenomenon. Experts warn the outbreak could intensify in the coming months as breeding continues, threatening Mizoram’s agricultural output for the year.

According to earlier field reports, the infestation began in parts of Saitual, Serchhip, and Khawzawl districts, where over 800 farmers were initially affected by crop loss due to rodent attacks. The government subsequently dispatched rodenticides and directed the Mizoram University’s zoology department to identify the rodent species responsible for the rapid outbreak. Preliminary assessments indicated that multiple species may be involved, complicating control measures.