Mustapha Isah Kwaru
9 October 2008
Maiduguri — The Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Abba Sayyadi Ruma yesterday launched the 2008 quelea birds control program for the North-East zone with the commencement of aerial spray of quealatos to battle the pests that have destroyed hundreds of farmlands in Borno and Yobe States.
In an address he delivered at the ceremony held in Maiduguri, Ruma who was represented by a deputy director in the ministry, Mr. Johnson Waziri Dzasu said Federal Government resolved to launch the spraying exercise in as a result of the giant stride of the state towards agricultural production.
In a bid to ensure total eradication of the birds in the two states, the minister stated that Federal Government had engaged the services of an agro-aviation company to carry out aerial spray operations for 20 and 25 flight hours, adding that adequate pesticides have been provided.
Quelea birds he observed, are one of the most devastating trans-boundary migratory crop pests of economic importance in the northern part of Nigeria as they are destroying thousands of farmlands resulting to about 40 to percent loses of crops annually. Ruma pointed out that due to the lingering threats posed by the pests to the agricultural development of the region, government deemed it mandatory to commence the operation exercise as similar control measures were earlier launched in the north-west.
According to him, the success of an effective pest control could only be hinged on concerted efforts of all the stakeholders, urging the farmers, states and local governments in the affected areas to complement efforts of the ministry of agriculture to curtail the havoc of the birds.
In his remarks, Governor Ali Sheriff described the control exercise as timely considering the damages the pests have been causing to crops and stressed the need for the state to have its own stationary helicopter to provide emergency services for possible outbreak of quelea birds in the zone. Governor Sheriff explained that his administration is doing everything to ensure bumper harvest only to be destroyed by the natural phenomenon.
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