Reprieve for Wheat, barley and sorghum farmers in Narok as destructive birds killed

Some of the scarecrows put by wheat farmers in Ololung'a area in Narok South to scare away the invasive quelea birds.The birds have invade wheat fields leaving a trail of destruction as they feast on the wheat grain. [PHOTOS:ROBERT KIPLAGAT].

Officials in the ministry of Agriculture are turning to explosives to eradicate a bird that wreaks havoc on grain harvests.

About six million quelea birds, which live in huge roosts, have invaded wheat and barely farms in Narok, where they can turn a bountiful harvest into a few sacks of produce in a few days.

“I have a 20-acre piece of land under wheat and these birds are stressful. Every time they land on my crop they leave a trail of destruction. It has been a big problem, but we appreciate the move by the ministry to kill them,” said John Ole Lepore, a farmer in Nkorinkori.

He said the losses accrued as a result of the birds' invasion were huge, adding that farmers would suffer immensely if they were not eliminated.

County Director of Agriculture Bernard Kimetto said they had resorted to using explosives to control the pests instead of pesticides in a bid to avert the negative effects of chemicals on the environment, livestock and humans.

“The birds pose a great risk to the expected harvest as they are very destructive to the two crops and sorghum especially in their milk stage. Farmers have been complaining, forcing us to resort to this method to ward off the birds,” said Mr Kimetto.

The agriculture official added that the birds were in four roosts across the county. He warned they could destroy half of this year's wheat and barley harvest.

The affected areas include Murijoi in Narok South, Munyas in Mulot in Narok West, Katakala in Narok North and Nairegia Enkare in Narok East.

The roost in Katakala is estimated to be home to about three million birds.

Kimetto, however, did not say what would happen to the other bird species that would be affected by the explosions.

Narok produces up to 50 percent of the wheat that is consumed in the country. Currently, there are over 110,000 hectares under the crop this season.