Farmers in Kirinyaga decry invasion of rice fields by Quelea birds

Farmers have decried constant invasion of their rice fields by quelea birds at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme in Kirinyaga County.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, the farmers urged both the county and national governments to intervene to avoid more damage.

Characteristic of big numbers, quelea birds are known to leave a trail of destruction behind them as the super colonies sweep through rice fields.
 
"We are forced to hire people to chase the birds away on a daily basis. This is at a cost of Ksh.400 shillings per person," James Ngige Murage, a farmer, told Citizen Digital.

According to the farmers, the birds are notoriously robust, with the population becoming problematic.

"We have appealed to government officials to carry out large-scale spraying of infested areas but our requests have not addressed,"Murage said.

Following the invasion, rice farmers from Nguka, Wamumu, Karaba and Tebere have been forced to camp at the scheme to scare away the birds.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a quelea bird can eat around 10 grams of grain daily, with a flock numbering 2 million likely to sweep 20 tons of grain in the same period.