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Joseph Gondo on Tuesday said the birds had been reported in Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Midlands and Manicaland.
“The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has control teams on the ground controlling the birds,” he said.
Mr Gondo said farmers were also helping with the quelea bird control. Usually farmers control the birds through making noise by beating drums and also using scarecrows. If not controlled quelea birds can reduce yields by over 40 percent.
The authority earlier on indicated that it has enough chemicals and was importing an additional 5 000 litres from South Africa.
Spraying teams had also been deployed in Norton, West Nicholson and Birchnough.
Farmers are urged to continue locating the roost, (where the birds sleep) before reporting. Identification of the roost will quicken the spraying process and as a result more farmers are attended. Mr Gondo also said wheat was in different stages of development.
Three percent of the wheat is at vegetative stage, a percent is at tillering, three percent late vegetative, 39 percent at booting stage and 18 percent at flowering. He said 17 percent was at milk dough stage while 15 percent was at soft dough stage.
A total of 13 744 hectares was put under wheat this season, an increase from last year’s 13 578ha. Wheat has, however, been on the decline during the past few weeks due to erratic electricity supply. Farmers who plant wheat end up making huge losses, as they will not be able to fully irrigate the crop.
On the other end some farmers have turned to barley production under contract farming where they are assured of timely inputs and a ready market.
Zimbabwe has become a net importer of wheat.
Online Reporter