MOSHI District Council (MDC) is undertaking a major operation to exterminate about three million quelea quelea birds that threaten 2,135 hectares of paddy on three irrigation schemes in Moshi Rural District.
In an exclusive interview with the
'Sunday News' yesterday, MDC Executive Director (DED), Ms Butamo
Ndalahwa, said the government was acting fast to avert losses of yield,
as paddy is now in maturing stages and the red-billed weavers have
proved to be hazardous.
Ms Ndalahwa said the exercise would
start today as they have already secured 325 litres of pest-killing
poison from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Development and
Fisheries in Dar es Salaam.
She revealed that on October 3, this
year, she consulted a coordinator with the Arusha Plant Health Centre as
well as the Kilimo Anga Arusha manager to get an airplane that was
expected to arrive any time from Nairobi, Kenya.
Quele quelea, the world's most populous
wild bird species, have been devouring paddy at the Lower Moshi Scheme
that spans 440 hectares; Mandaka Mnono Scheme with 270 hectares and the
biggest one – Mawala Scheme that covers 1,425 hectares.
"We have completed the groundwork using
MDC agricultural experts in conjunction with experts from the Northern
Zone Plant Health Centre in Arusha. They estimated the number of birds
when entering canopies of trees to sleep or other sites in the evening
and now we are ready to exterminate them," said the DED.
Ms Ndalahwa noted that the experts found
out that there are four bird sanctuaries that are situated in TPC
Company sugarcane plantations and the specialists were going to find out
if there were other locations.
She said that towards the end of August
there were about two million quelea quelea birds, but the management of
TPC sprayed a poisonous liquid and eliminated most of them. However, by
September 21, new groups of birds were seen arriving at Lower Moshi
Scheme and Mawalla.
MDC Chairman, Mr Michael Kilawila, DED
and agricultural experts toured Lower Moshi, Mandaka Mnono and Mawala to
assess the situation. They discussed with farmers about the tragedy and
way forward.
The birds are always seen during morning and evening hours feeding on paddy but spend nights in colons in sugarcane plantations.
“The last time MDC killed quelea quelea
was in 2013 but this time around we have found it important to do a
major operation as farmers are in danger of losing their crops. The
red-billed birds have an estimated adult breeding population of 1.5
billion pairs. The overall world population is expected to be as large
as 10 billion.
They are found in sub-Saharan Africa but
are absent from thickly forested regions and the southern reaches of
South Africa. They live mostly in steppe and savanna regions, but do not
avoid human settlements. While foraging for food they may fly large
distances each day without tiring.
Their life expectancy is two to three
years. Their food consists of annual grasses, seeds and grain. As soon
as the sun comes up, quelea quelea come together in huge flocks and
co-operate in finding a suitable feeding place. After a successful
search, they settle rapidly and can cause serious damage to crops
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