Lhakpa Quendren

Zhemgang—Pema Lhamo, a 43-year-old farmer from Shingkhar in Zhemgang, walks through the barren stalks of her paddy field that is yet to be harvested. What is painfully evident is the severe damage caused by rat infestation. 

“Look, I have nothing left to harvest,” she said, her voice, quivering with emotion. “This is the first time I have seen rats destroy an entire rice field.”

The stalks across the entire field, including the 33 decimals owned by her sister, stand barren at the peak of harvest season.

A single mother of three, Pema Lhamo had hoped for a successful harvest to sustain her family through the year. She had spent Nu 12,000 to prepare the terrace using a power tiller, but now, only a fraction of her crop remains.

What once yielded 400 dre (1.5 kg) of rice has dwindled to just 10 dre this year.

“I now have no choice but to rely entirely on imported rice, but where will I find the money?” Pema Lhamo said. “We used to contribute local rice for any events in the community, and the rice production was enough to sustain my family throughout the year.”

The destruction extends beyond her field. Nearly every household across the four chiwogs—Shingkhar, Wamling, Thrisa, and Nimshong—has been affected, with rat invasions damaging up to half of this year’s rice harvest.

This has left farmers in a state of shock and uncertainty, as the damage threatens both their food security and livelihoods.

Farmer Sangay Lhazom harvested only 40 dre of rice from her 50-decimal field, which normally yields about 300 dre each season. “My other fields were also partly damaged. Some have chosen not to harvest at all, as the stalks are empty of grains.”

Rodents have also damaged maize fields. And farmers now dread that the rats will soon attack wheat and other cereals once the paddy harvest season ends.

Although the chiwog tshogpas have reported the incidents to the gewog administration, farmers feel neglected due to the lack of a dedicated agriculture extension supervisor for nearly two years. The supervisor from Bardo gewog currently oversees Shingkhar as well.

According to Shingkhar Tshogpa Ngawang Kinga, all the 48 households across 12 villages in his chiwog are suffering from damage caused by rat infestation. Around 30 households in the lower villages are severely affected, including Lekpokhay, Jawripong, Chabi, Pangtangma, and Khoebar.

In nearby Wamling, the problem is similarly widespread. Wamling has the largest wetlands and the most productive fields in the gewog.

Some 30 households in the lower villages have been severely affected, while 43 households in the upper villages suffered partial damage. “Three households lost 50 decimals of paddy fields to soil erosion, while their remaining fields were partly damaged by rodents,” said Wamling Tshogpa Neten Dorji.

Thrisa Tshogpa Thinley Wangchuk said that rice production has declined drastically, and maize has also been equally affected by rodents.

The gewog agriculture office has suggested keeping rice fields continuously watered or using rodenticides to mitigate the damage. However, farmers argue that the current irrigation system is insufficient, with water scarcity already a pressing issue during the cultivation season.

Farmer Tshering Dorji from Shingkhar said that such challenges discourage farmers from farming, which also forces migration and contributes to the increase in fallow lands. “Farmers put so much effort into keeping their fields productive, but these issues continue.”

Elders in the villages believe that every 12 year, in the ‘Year of the Rat’, rat population would explode. This year-the Year of the Dragon-is also considered a bad year for crops.

Last year, Bardo gewog also suffered significant losses due to rats, with some farmers experiencing partial damage again this season, according to Bardo Tshogpa Leki Wangmo.

Rodent damage is not covered under the crop compensation policy.

Bardo gewog’s agriculture extension supervisor, Sonam Dorji, said that while rodent damage is not included in the compensation policy, such losses may be covered under crop insurance.

However, he said that relying solely on government compensation would be unsustainable. He said that farmers must use rodenticides, which are available for purchase in markets.