Md. Osman Gani , Upazila Correspondent, Chandina || Local farmers in various areas of Chandina Upazila in Cumilla are facing severe hardship due to a massive rat infestation in their Aman paddy fields. Just as the golden paddy ears are ready to be harvested, the rampage of rats has left them bewildered. Despite hopes for a good yield, the destruction of the fields by rats has brought despair to the farmers.Humayun Kabir, a farmer from Mehar village in the Upazila, stated that he cultivated Aman paddy with a lot of money and hard labor, and the paddy plants were growing quite well. However, a sudden rat attack began in the fields, leaving them nearly ruined. Under the cover of night, the rats enter the fields and cut down fresh paddy plants, devouring them. Although farmers are trying various initiatives of their own to eradicate the rats, they are not achieving the desired success.Strategies for rat control vary from farmer to farmer. Another farmer, Md. Jahangir Alam, shared that by setting rat traps in his paddy field, he has managed to kill 110 rats so far using ingenious methods. However, other farmers have different experiences. Farmer Humayun Kabir said that when bait such as bananas or other food is placed in traps in the field, the rats cunningly consume the food and slip away. Although an occasional rat is caught, they are quite large in size. He also mentioned that sometimes rats attempt to chew through the cages with their strong teeth or run away with the cages entirely.Meanwhile, to protect farmers from this extensive crop damage, the Upazila Agriculture Office is advising them on various modern and effective strategies for rat eradication. Locals apprehend that if proper methods and collaborative rat control measures are not implemented according to the agriculture department's advice, the Aman production target for the current season could be disrupted. Affected farmers have demanded prompt and effective measures with government assistance.