About 95,000 hectares of rice farm in Kebbi state has been destroyed by Quelea Birds at the onset of the rainy season.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker representing the Argungu Constituency in the Kebbi House of Assembly, Alhaji Umar Na’amore, in a recent interview stated that the destruction of the farmland poses serious food insecurity threat to the country.
Na’amore explained that Kebbi state was mostly hit by the attacks of the birds which migrated from neighbouring countries of Benin and Niger Republic due to their strategic location which makes it a significant flash point for entry of migratory pests into the country.
He, however, advised the government to assist the people of Argungu Local Government Area of Kebbi State to conduct pesticide spraying to kill invading quelea birds in their farms in order to curtail the further loss of crops in the area.
The lawmaker also urged the governments to provide relief assistance to the affected farmers to recover from their losses.
“It is on record that most of the farmers in the area had taken loans from Labana and WACOT rice mills, among others, to embark massively on farming in order to help the country in its efforts to have food security and produce what we eat,” he said.
“We are also appealing to the rice milling companies that offered loan assistance to the affected farmers to extend the redemption of the loans’ period to next year, 2024,” the lawmaker pleaded.
