LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- No fewer than a 100 farmers are counting their losses as quelea birds invade farmlands in Argungu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
According to residents, the red-billed birds migrated from the neighboring Niger Republic, destroying about 75,000 hectares of rice farms in the community.
Alhaji Umar Na’amore, a member representing Argungu Constituency (PDP),in Kebbi state Assembly, has called on Federal Government to conduct spray of pesticides on invading quelea birds in their farmlands.
Na’amore, made the call in a press statement to journalists in Birnin Kebbi on 25 June.
“We, the people of Argungu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, appeal to Federal and Kebbi State Governments to conduct spray of pesticides, to kill invading quelea birds in our farms in order to curtail the further loss of crops in the area.
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“The quelea birds have ravaged almost 95,000 hectares of dry season rice plantations in the state, in which our area is affected hugely which may have attendant food security implications,” he said.
The lawmaker, also urged the governments to provide relief assistance to the affected farmers to recover from their losses.
“We are also appealing to the rice milling companies that offered loans assistance to the affected farmers to extend the redemption of the loans’ period to next year, 2024.”
“A farmer, whose farm, has been invaded by the destructive quelea birds has no money to embark on another farming; then how can he pay back the loan he collected after he had invested them in farming that he incurred losses of crops?,” he quarried.
Kebbi has been the only state affected so far by the menace of quelea birds. However, experts in agriculture are advising farmers in the northwest and northeast to be on the lookout for invading birds.