Bauchi flags off aerial spray against quelea birds

The Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, has flagged off the aerial spray against quelea birds in eight local government areas to improve food security in the state.

 Speaking during the exercise held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport Bauchi on Monday, the governor said the gesture is in line with his administration policies and programmes in the agricultural sub-sector for continued development.

 Represented by the  Commissioner for Agriculture, Professor Maiduguri Yalams, the governor reiterated the commitment of his administration to improving agricultural activities, particularly in the area of pest control on crop production.

 Mohammed appealed to farmers and other stakeholders to cooperate with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and officials from the state government to ensure the smooth success of the exercise.

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  The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said the exercise aims to protect farmers from imminent loss of their farm produce and to improve food security in the state. 

 The state government has taken drastic measures to curtail the menace, he said. 

 He explained that quelea birds cause a lot of havoc on farm produce such as maize, rice, and millet, among others, adding that the state has risen to the occasion by combating the challenge head-on.

He said the exercise will cover eight local government areas of the state including Warji, Toro, Kirfi, Alkaleri, Shira, Misau, Jama’are and Bauchi.

  He said people in the affected local government areas should not panic over the movement of the aircraft spraying the chemicals, adding that some of the quelea birds may die as a result of inhaling the chemicals.

  “We are going to ensure that we sensitise people in these local government areas not to panic if they see the aircraft hovering around the areas, but to be calm as the exercise is for their good. Also, we are going to caution them not to eat any of the birds that eventually die as a result of the chemicals as they are poisonous,” he added.