Archive · 3 Dec 2025
Rodent Infestation Destroys 42% of Mizoram Harvest
In Mizoram, a state in India, a lot of rats have been eating the crops of more than 5,000 farmers.
These rats have destroyed about 42% of the harvest this year.
The rats were attracted because a special kind of bamboo called 'Thingtam' started flowering, which happens every 48 years.
The worst affected areas are Mamit, Lunglei, and Hnahthial districts.
The government has been trying to control the rats by poisoning them and taking other measures.
Most people in Mizoram depend on farming for their livelihood, and the main type of farming is called 'jhum' or shifting cultivation.
The government is trying to replace this with other types of farming like growing fruits and vegetables.
Rodent infestation has destroyed 42.06% of the harvest in Mizoram, affecting 5,317 farmers across 180 villages in all 11 districts.
The infestation was triggered by the gregarious flowering of the Bambusa Tulda bamboo species, locally known as 'Thingtam', which occurs every 48 years.
Mamit district was the worst hit, with 2,009 families losing 60% of their crops, followed by Lunglei and Hnahthial districts.
The government has contained the outbreak through mass poisoning drives and other preventive measures, leading to a decline in the rodent population.
Mizoram's economy is highly agrarian, with about 70% of the population dependent on agriculture, primarily through slash-and-burn jhum or shifting cultivation.
- Who
- Farmers in Mizoram
- What
- Rodent infestation destroying crops
- When
- Current year, with bamboo flowering reported in February 2023
- Where
- All 11 districts of Mizoram, with Mamit, Lunglei, and Hnahthial being the worst affected
- Why
- Gregarious flowering of Bambusa Tulda (Thingtam) bamboo species, which occurs in a 48-year cycle
- Affected Farmers
- 5,317
- Crop Loss Percentage
- 42.06%
- Affected Area
- 1,700 hectares
- Affected Villages
- 180
- Affected Districts
- 11
- Worst Affected District
- Mamit
- Crop Loss in Mamit
- 60%
- Crop Loss in Lunglei
- 60.70%
- Crop Loss in Hnahthial
- 82.9%
- Bamboo Species
- Bambusa Tulda (Thingtam)
- Last Rodent Attack
- 2022
- Agrarian Population
- 70%
- Farming Practices
- Slash-and-burn jhum or shifting cultivation