Rat Plagues Help To Kill Java Crops

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30389, 13 March 1964, Page 13

Rat Plagues Help To Kill Java Crops

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright)

DJAKARTA, March 12.

About 30,000 rats were killed in one night at Ketjamatan Lobakwangi, West Java recently, Antara news agency reported today.

It said another 14,500 raits were killed at Tajiiparong village in the same region. The rat plagues and scant rainfall in the heavilypopulated areas of West and Central Java killed off the rice crops. Reports of starvation in some areas and widespread

malnutrition continue to be received from Central Java in spite of Government attempts to ease the food shortage.

The food shortage has become a major issue second only to Indonesia’s confrontation with Malaysia. About 300 regional officials and Government leaders continued their talks today on how best to overcome the shortages. Not Conventional Way

Dr. Subandrio, the Foreign Minister, said yesterday the country could not overcome the problem in any conventional manner such as by imparts of food. “We must solve the food problem in accordance with the current development of the revolution . . he said. Dr. Subandrio, who has called on the people to eat maize (corn) to ease the rice shortage, said yesterday he regretted that Indonesians were suffering, but added “each revolution has its own difficulties." General Nasution, the armed forces Chief of Staff, recently joined Army members engaged in rice-growing projects at Kartasura, Central Java.

He stood knee-deep in a rice paddy to help with the planting, Antara reported. The news agency said that a lot of paddy fields in Central Java had been damaged by rats though the efforts of the Army had helped production.