Marsabit farmers worried over massive locust invasion

Mr.Roba Shito Mare, a farmer at Kiwanja Ndege area in the outskirts of Marsabit town shows Standard how his farm was affected by the locusts as he displays one. Photo: Godfrey Oundoh/ Standard

Desperate farmers have hired youths to scare away locusts that have invaded their farms.

Nort-Horr sub-county is the worst hit. A spot check by The Standard revealed that maize and beans were among the worst affected crops.

Roba Shito Mare, a farmer at Kiwanja Ndege area in the outskirts of Marsabit town, called on the county and national governments to intervene.

“I have been a farmer for around 11 years, but I have never seen this kind of destruction from locusts. More than two acres of my maize plantation has been destroyed by these insects that mostly feed on leaves, leaving the plants to die,” said Mr Mare.

David Karimi, a farmer in Badassa, said he had hired people to chase away the locusts.

We now have to patrol our farms throughout the day to save our maize, a problem that may make some of us who cultivate for business purposes incur losses,” he said Karimi.

Agriculture Executive Hawo Shanko Abdullahi promised to work with the national Government to find a situation.

“We want to assure our farmers that we shall do our best to support them to strengthen our food security potential," he said.