Chemical treated seeds kill birds

Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 02 2009: Farmers sowing paddy seeds in the dry fields happen to be trap for to kill birds that eat the seeds.

Many birds died in some places in Imphal east where farmers sow paddy seeds in the fields as they could not wait for natural rain.

Losing patient in waiting the advent of rain and fear of late in cultivation works, in the fields where there is no irrigation facilities, farmers have started sowing paddy seeds in the dry land after treating the seeds with chemical insecticides so as to avoid attack by insects and others.

Many birds specially wild pigeon died of eating the chemical treated seeds in the field in the last few days.

Farmers said that they are sowing the seeds as the season for cultivation coming late and they have no irrigation facilities to fill their field with water which is necessary for sowing the paddy seeds.

The practice they are doing is an old method which their forefather practiced when experienced scanty rainfall trying their lucks.

"We are sowing the seeds not with the hope of getting fruits of their effort but trying luck if rain comes in the later stage of the season, Manglemjao, a farmer of Kaibi village located in Imphal east said.

The same practice is doing all the farmers of the area as they are expecting to get rain in later parts.

They said, as June month ended, there would no time for sowing paddy even though rainfall is expected.

They feel worried of not getting time for sowing.

Farmers have no hope of getting their share of paddy sapling which government is planning to grow in nursery fields at government expense.

Waiting for government supply would be like "Mangda mangra thanba (which can be meant as hoping to get something which is beyond expectation)", Manglemjao said.

Instead of wasting time thinking getting government assistant, it will be better to try our luck, Biren, another farmer said.

Before sowing the paddy seeds, farmer apply chemical insecticides of their choice which is a concern considering for the births and other harmless living things.

Birds eating the chemical apply seeds got killed.

Farmers have found many dead birth specially wild pigeon in the fields.

Another most concerning thing is that children use to collect the dead birds from the fields and after dressing and fried eat it.

According to farmers, children could collect more than 20 birds from the fields in a day.

But, so far there were no report of causing health problem to children who consumed the birth.

With regard to the application of insecticide before sowing, farmers said that they have been doing so as they fear of not growing well if sow without mixing with chemicals.

But, with the detection dead of birds, some farmers have started tilling the field after sowing the seeds so as to cover the seeds by soil.

The practice has been done with the believed that killing wild pigeon is not good in future.