Science News Desk Protection of crops is a big and difficult task. The reason for this is that farmers either have to sit whole day or people have to work, which is not possible for every farmer. Birds create a lot of trouble to spoil the crop sown in the fields and sometimes this problem becomes a big problem. Something similar is happening in the fields of the African country of Kenya, where red-beaked Quelia birds are creating havoc.
farmers are worried
Thousands of farmers near the Kenyan city of Kishumu fear their crops will be the worst in five years after a swarm of Quelia birds. According to the BBC report, the farmers of Kishumu have become worried about driving these birds away from their fields. After shouting throughout the day, many farmers have lost their voice.
it’s hard to work
Farmers say that these birds have become quite fearless and are not afraid of anyone. If something is thrown at them, they are used to it. Farmers throw soil at the birds to scare them. Sometimes they have to run. In the absence of birds, farmers could work alone in the field. But now at least five people are needed to work on the farm.
intervention required from the government
Now the farmers have to request the government to intervene in this matter itself. The problem is serious as the livelihood of most of the farmers is dependent on rice crop only. The small farmers here have the largest population of wild birds in the world and the situation is that now they are living completely at their mercy.
crop eating insects
Scarecrows, nets for birds etc. all the measures have become useless for the farmers. Taking care of one acre crop has become impossible even for five people. Quelia birds are also called winged grasshoppers in eastern and southern Africa and are considered crop-eating pests. Quelia eats an average of 10 grams of grain a day.
loss of billions every year
The damage is small for a single Quelia bird, but they also come in huge swarms like locusts and 2 million birds clear up to 20 tons of rice a day. According to a 2021 assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about $5 billion worth of crops is lost every year in sub-Saharan Africa.