The LGAs to benefited from the exercise were Shira, Toro, Warji, Jama’are, Kirfi, Alkaleri, Bauchi and Misau. The areas were chosen for being notorious for large-scale food production, notably maize and rice.
Speaking at the event during the exercise at Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport Bauchi on Monday, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari said the spray became necessary to protect dry season farmers’ yield from being damaged by the transborder birds.
Ably represented by a Director of the Ministry in Bauchi, Mr Daniel Abarshi, said the ministry has the constitutional role to prevent and protect farmers from suffering crop losses to Quelea Birds.
He explained that the ministry undertakes the spray against Quelea Birds twice each year to ensure that Nigeria does its part in controlling the birds that move from one part of the world to another damaging cereal crops.
Corroborating, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Agriculture Simon Madugu Yalams warned residents of the selected LGAs not to panic about sighting aircraft hovering around spraying the pest.
“People should not eat the death Quelea Birds after the spray because doing so amounts to consuming the contaminated chemicals which will be harmful and dangerous to human health,” Yalams said.
