Kebbi State Government, has flagged-off dry season aerial spray to control transboundary quelea birds in the 12 frontline states.
The State Governor, Comrade Nasiru Idris, while speaking on the occasion held at Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin Kebbi, described quelea birds as inimical not only to agricultural productivity but also to national food security.
According to the Governor, quelea birds and grasshoppers are dangerous and destructive, saying, inaction would reverse the food security efforts due to the colossal damage they inflict on food and humans.
Governor Idris, however stressed the need for both governments to be proactive and ensure concerted, timely and intensified efforts to stem the menace of quelea birds attack in their areas.
While appreciating the Federal Government for finding Kebbi worthy of hosting the exercise, the governor observed that Kebbi was strategic to food security in the country.
The Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Abubakar Kyari, said the choice of Kebbi to host the flag-off programme of Aerial Spray against Quelea Birds was delebrate, considering the farming activities, especially, the cultivation of rice and other crops as well as the support and love of the governor for agriculture.
According to him, this is in line with the agenda of the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which is firmly committed to transforming agriculture for improved production and productivity.
He however, lamented that transboundary and migratory birds possessed significant threat to agricultural production due to devastating effects on cereal crops like rice and wheat, “causing severe havoc on farmers, which remained major threats to food security.
The 12 frontline states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
Abdullahi Tukur
