The herbage and seeds of these grasses are food for herbivores, such as the Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax), the caterpillar of the butterfly Melanitis phedima, and the larvae of the fly genus Delia.
An important food item is often elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) but this rat is opportunistic and will also feed on crops such as groundnut, maize, sweet potato, cassava and pumpkin.