MARTIN MAWAYA
HARARE-As Zimbabwe’s winter wheat enters the delicate reproductive phase, a silent war is being waged, not in boardrooms, but in the skies and fields where millions of quelea birds threaten the nation’s food security.
In a high-stakes operation that blends science, surveillance, and swift response, the government has mounted an aggressive quelea control campaign to safeguard the country’s strategic wheat crop, aiming to meet its ambitious 600,000 metric tonne production target for 2025.
Providing a winter wheat crop update, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, assured Zimbabweans that the government is on high alert and fully prepared to counter the avian threat.
“The wheat crop is performing exceptionally well across the country. At this critical reproductive stage, protecting every grain is vital. We cannot afford any losses to quelea birds,” Prof Jiri emphasized.
The tiny but destructive quelea, often dubbed “feathered locusts” due to their insatiable appetite and swarm behavior, have already made their presence felt.
Government teams recently neutralized over 6,000 birds in Goromonzi and a staggering 40,000 in Chiredzi, figures that underscore the scale of the threat and the urgency of response.
Reports of sightings in Mary Ellen Matabeleland North province, Plumtree, and parts of Matabeleland South have further triggered expanded surveillance across affected provinces.
Jiri said his ministry in collaboration with the President’s Office, has activated a full-scale response backed by cutting-edge technology and manpower.
Currently in use are four vehicle-mounted sprayers, 45 mistblowers, and 9 drones, all deployed strategically to monitor and disrupt the roosting patterns of the birds.
These are supported by a recently empowered network of District Agriculture Extension Officers who received vehicles to be mobile and assist farmers in controlling the birds.
Prof Jiri added that should the need arise, they will deploy aerial interventions.
“Aircrafts will be deployed if required. This is a national security issue for our food reserves. Every spike of wheat counts,” he stressed.
Midlands Provincial Director for Agricultural Rural Development and Advisory Services, Busiso Mavankeni, added that the province is yet to record any disturbances from quelea birds, emphasizing that authorities remain on high alert to quell any potential outbreaks.
For Charles Mpofu, a wheat farmer from Kwekwe, the proactive measures taken by the government brings a sigh of relief for them.
“I appreciate the government’s efforts to protect our crops from quelea bird invasions. This time, they are ahead of the birds, and that gives us confidence. Measures such as spraying roosting areas have proven effective in reducing the quelea bird population in our region. This intervention has brought relief to farmers, and I am hopeful these efforts will continue to safeguard crops as they mature,” he said.
The government’s rapid and technology-driven response is part of broader efforts to bolster food sovereignty and shield farmers from losses that could cripple the winter harvest.
With the global climate increasingly unpredictable and food inflation a persistent concern, wheat has become more than just a crop, it’s a cornerstone of resilience.
As Zimbabwe inches closer to harvesting its winter wheat crop, the skies remain under watch, not just for rain, but for the looming threat of quelea flocks that could endanger the nation’s breadbasket.
