Jigawa government advises residents on safety.
Jigawa government advises residents on safety as federal government sprays quelea birds.
The Jigawa State Government on Friday advised residents on safety as the Federal Government concludes arrangement to begin aerial spraying of quelea birds in some parts of the state.
Alhaji Hamza Mohammed, Special Assistant to Gov. Mohammad Badaru on Communities Inclusiveness, told newsmen in Hadejia, that residents must avoid handling dead quelea birds.
He also called on them to ensure that the pesticides sprayed did not make contact with their food, plates and cooking tools.
Mohammed said the aerial spray was requested by some farmers who were worried by the damages caused by quelea birds on their farms.
Newsmen report that quelea birds have been invading rice farms, especially in Auyo, Hadejia, Guri, Kaugama, Kafin-Hausa, Kirikasamma towns, among others.
An Agriculturist in Auyo, Tukur Dauda, told NAN that the notorious birds’ hideout is in Baturiya Wetland and they usually launched there attack on farmlands by this time of the year.
“Within two hours, an army of quelea birds can destroy one hectare of a rice farm.
“Before the aerial spray begins, the only option we have is to distract the birds with a big net we use in covering our farms against them.
“The length of the net is 100 metres and the width is about 20 to 30 meters; it can cover between two to three kilometres of farmland,” he said.