CHAGAI: Almost 20 per cent of the date palm trees have been destroyed after massive rodent attacks since 2005 in Rajay, Gowlishtop and Wadian areas of Chagai district.

This was learnt during a recent survey carried out by some officials of Balochistan Agriculture Extension Department.

Deputy Director of the department Zahoor Ahmed Shah told Dawn that the farmers had grown date palms on about 20,000 to 30,000 hectares near a desert lake known as Hamoon-i-Mashkel as underground water level was five to eight feet in the area.

He said it was observed that rodents attacked mainly the male trees which compelled the farmers to set those trees on fire to avoid further spread of rodents.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2021