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Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor
Huge flocks of quelea birds are still wreaking havoc in some parts of the country where the early planted wheat crop is now in its early reproductive stage, a senior Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development official says.
Department of Migratory Pests and Biosecurity Control acting director Shingirayi Nyamutukwa told the Herald on Tuesday that there were receiving more reports of quelea birds menace from farmers in Chitomborwizi, Sanyati and Kadoma in Mashonaland West, Glendale and Muzarabani in Mashonaland Central and Mwenezi in Masvingo province.
“Reports are increasing as the early planted wheat crop is now in its early reproductive stages. As a department we are intensifying efforts to control quelea birds. We are responding timeously to the distress calls to help safeguard the farmers’ harvests,” he said.
“We have adequate resources and we have enough chemicals this season. In addition, we have at least 30 motorised backpack sprayers for our teams as well as five vehicle mounted sprayers to attend to large roosts. We are even procuring more sprayers and chemicals as we intensify our control programme this season.”
Teams from the Department of Migratory Pests and Biosecurity Control have been on the ground for several weeks controlling quelea breeding colonies in Muzarabani, Gonarezhou, Deka and Mbire to help manage the tiny species that flock in huge numbers attacking vast tracts of grain crop fields.
The birds were devastating sorghum and millets as well as the country’s winter wheat crop.
This season, Zimbabwe has put at least 75 000ha under winter wheat production and efforts are being stepped up to ensure that there are minimum wheat losses due to quelea birds.
The birds are the largest contributor to heavy wheat losses annually estimated at over 95% if uncontrolled.
“We are working closely with the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to fight the huge flocks of quelea birds,” said Nyamutukwa.
“We are using Fenthion 640 ULV in quelea control, usually sprayed in breeding or roosting sites. This is helping us to reduce populations of the problem bird to levels that do not cause economic losses to our farmers.”
He urged farmers to report quelea bird outbreaks timeously for early control at the Quelea Command Centre.
Farmers can report using the following hot line numbers: 0772868804, 0772528178 and 0777080460.
“Quelea birds are a huge problem here in our Mhangura farming area. I am happy that we are getting support from agricultural extension workers,” said Betty Chidavaenzi, a farmer.
“I’m worried about losses that we may suffer from the birds.”
Bernard Mavhunga, a farmer from Glendale said: “The birds are a menace and as farmers we want the ministry of agriculture to continue to help us to contain the birds. We want to minimise our losses from the birds which are attacking our wheat crop.”
Quelea birds have been a threat to summer subsistence small grains and commercial winter cereal cropping in Zimbabwe for years.
Each tiny bird can feed on four grams of wheat per day and experts say a million birds can result in losses exceeding 40 000 tonnes when the quelea birds invade fields in large flocks.
The red-billed quelea is a small weaver bird native to sub-Saharan Africa and renowned for its attacks on small-grain crops within Africa. It is the most numerous bird species in the world, with a peak post-breeding population estimated at 1,8 billion.
Nomadic super-colonies can grow to millions of birds, making quelea not only the most abundant bird in the world but also the most destructive to cereal grains, especially sorghum and millets as well as wheat, rice and barley.
Online Reporter