Agriculture: in Australia fields and crops destroyed by an invasion of mice
Agriculture: in Australia fields and crops destroyed by an invasion of mice

Video: Agriculture: in Australia fields and crops destroyed by an invasion of mice

Video: Agriculture: in Australia fields and crops destroyed by an invasion of mice
Video: Plague of mice infest crops in Australia's rural east 2024, March
Anonim

In Australia is rodent alert: the agriculture is devastated by a real one invasion of mice that is destroying fields and crops. For this reason, the government has authorized farmers to use more powerful baits, but even the normal ones are now starting to run out.

It is above all the inland areas of NSW and southern Queensland that are most plagued by the plague of mice: the rodents are causing extensive damage to the hay and grain already stored. Hopes that heavy rains and colder temperatures would reduce the number of mice have been thwarted: only in a few areas have meteorological changes occurred such as to decrease their numbers.

The problem is that mice have very high reproductive rates: they can give birth as early as six weeks and they can have a litter every 21 days. Thus the veterinary authorities and the Government have decided to issue an emergency permit that will allow bait producers to double the toxicity of their products: wheat baits will contain twice as much zinc phosphide on each grain.

Obviously, then, farmers have also been authorized to use these enhanced baits, but these are asking the Government for help in order to support their cost. In reality, the more powerful lures will only cost an extra dollar per kilogram. But the problem is that regular lures are already in short supply and increased demand has caused prices to skyrocket.

Meanwhile, the trade representatives, together with the Country Women Association, are also asking the government financial support up to 25 thousand dollars per farm, above all to be able to support the cost of purchasing the bait.

A survey revealed that 94% of farmers have already had to buy them, spending up to $ 150,000. A third of these then reported losses of feed and cereals between 50 and 150 thousand dollars. And this without forgetting the health problems and psychological that such an invasion is causing.

Meanwhile Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of NSW, explained that it will be difficult to be able to run for cover: he doubts that the government can do so much. They are doing what they can, but it is Nature in the end and they cannot pretend that they are able to remedy what is a natural disaster.

A similar thing, among other things, had happened last year in Germany: here too an invasion of mice had seriously damaged the agricultural sector.

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