The Sunday Mail
Online Reporter
Government says it has adequate stocks of repellent to deal with the threat of quelea birds.
Quelea birds have been a threat to summer subsistence small grains and commercial winter cereal cropping in Zimbabwe for years.
“Bird repellent has been procured to ensure efficient control of the quelea birds that have been sighted in all provinces. Government has begun a nation-wide identification of roosting places of quelea birds,” said Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa during the post-Cabinet briefing yesterday.
“Farmers should assist by providing surveillance information on the roosting places, and additionally can collect bird repellent from their nearest GMB depots to protect their crops.”
The quelea birds were first spotted in Kwekwe, and the Kwekwe district is one of the Midlands province’s biggest wheat producers.
Minister Mutsvangwa also said the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has been engaged to take control of the situation.
“The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has been engaged to ensure efficient control of the birds,” she said.
