India - Inglese

Farmers are offered cash for tails as bamboo bloom brings plague of rats

[Times - World]

<b>GAUHATI</b> Authorities in northeastern India are offering farmers cash for every rat they kill because an explosion in the rat population is threatening to devastate crops and plunge the region into famine, officials said yesterday. Farmers will be paid two rupees (3p) for every tail brought in to government offices.