Birds destroy farms in Zamfara
By Abdullahi Abdulrahaman Chakwa Gusau Thousands of farmers under the Bakalori Irrigation Scheme in Zamfara State have appealed to the Federal and Zamfara State governments for urgent intervention following a massive bird invasion that has destroyed hundreds of hectares of cultivated farmland. According to the Chairman of the Bakalori Water Users Association, Malam Yakubu Yahaya, […]
By Abdullahi Abdulrahaman Chakwa Gusau
Thousands of farmers under the Bakalori Irrigation Scheme in Zamfara State have appealed to the Federal and Zamfara State governments for urgent intervention following a massive bird invasion that has destroyed hundreds of hectares of cultivated farmland.
According to the Chairman of the Bakalori Water Users Association, Malam Yakubu Yahaya, the persistent bird attacks have already devastated more than 250 hectares of farmland, threatening the livelihoods of about 1,500 farmers and raising concerns over food production in the state.
Yahaya said farmers had exhausted all available local measures to repel the birds, but the invasion has continued unabated.
According to him, the annual menace has become increasingly severe this farming season, making it impossible for many farmers to protect their crops without government support.
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“This has become a yearly disaster, but this year’s situation is particularly alarming. We urgently need government intervention to save the remaining farmlands before the destruction becomes total,” he said.
He warned that the large-scale destruction of crops would not only inflict huge financial losses on affected farmers but could also negatively impact food production and the economy of Zamfara State and the country.
Yahaya therefore appealed for the immediate deployment of government bird-control teams and other emergency measures to contain the invasion and prevent further losses.
Responding to the development, the Acting Director of Bird Control at the Zamfara State Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Mahe Bala, confirmed that the ministry had received reports of the incident.
He said arrangements had been concluded to forward the situation to the Minister of Agriculture for urgent intervention.