By Blessed Emmanuel, Bauchi
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has urged other African countries to ensure pest control as means of ending the havoc by Quelea birds on crops.
The State Coordinator, Mr Daniel Abarshi and the field officer, Dr Tagwi James advocated for the collaboration during the 2021 flag off of the annual pest control spray.
The annual pest control intervention is part of measures to achieve food security and sufficiency by the federal government.
Quelea are migrant birds capable of destroying over 1o hectares of farmland in minutes if not controlled.
According to the experts, other African countries should be proactive in tackling these menace just like Nigeria.
“Quelea bird move in thousands and reproduce massively and their occurrence has been frequent.”
State Director of Agriculture, Mohammed Saidu said 16 local government areas in Bauchi state are affected by the infestation of the birds and the intervention is a welcome development to the state.
He however reminded residents and farmers not to eat any dead bird they come across and ensure their drinking water is properly closed.
