Laikipia farmers count losses after Quelea birds invasion

Cereal grain farmers in Laikipia's Rumuruti, Marmanet and Ol Moran are counting losses following the devastation of their farms by Quelea birds.

The farmers who have planted wheat, barley, millet, maize and sorghum as well as sunflower expressed fears that the birds could wipe out the entire fields.

David Kamau, a farmer from Ol Moran, said their hopes of having a bumper harvest were fading away as the birds had invaded their farms in droves.

"We were expecting better yields because there were enough rains but the birds now threaten to rob us of our livelihoods," he said.

Another farmer, Judy Kitonga Sareda, appealed for help to deal with the outbreak which she said had resulted in substantial economic loss to farmers and could render the local population food insecure.

She said they were spending between Sh300 and Sh500 on hiring young men to scare away the pests by clanging metallic objects on a one-acre-farm daily.

"We fear we could lose up to over 60 per cent of the expected yields if we are not assisted to deal with them," she said.

The birds, she said, posed a huge threat to their agricultural production and livelihoods. A single Quelea bird can consume up to 10 grams of grain daily while a flock of 2 million birds can devour 20 tons of grain within a short time.

Weighing between 15-26 grams and about 12 centimetres long, the bird has a bright red beak and descends on farms in hundreds of thousands.

The farmers called for effective control measures and management strategies to contain the outbreak.

Laikipia County Agriculture Executive Dennis Kasoo had not responded to Eastleigh Voice queries on the acreage and farmers affected by the time of going to press.

The use of bird repellants has been cited among the environmentally friendly ways to deal with the birds.