Rice farmers at the West Kano Irrigation Scheme in Kisumu county are counting losses running into millions of shillings following a severe invasion of birds that has destroyed large sections of their crops.
The farmers say at least 94 acres of rice have been damaged over the past one week as huge swarms of birds descended on the scheme, wiping out crops that were nearing harvest.
Every morning, the farmers are forced to abandon other duties to chase away the birds, clapping, shouting and throwing stones in a desperate attempt to save what remains of their fields.
But the efforts have yielded little success.
“In a few minutes, they clear an entire section. You chase them from one farm and they move to the next. When you return, they are back again,” said Samwel Owino, a farmer.
Owino decried the frustration of trying to scare away the birds.
“Even when you throw stones, they don’t fly away. They just sit there and stare at you. It has become impossible to control them,” he added.
According to the farmers, the destruction has intensified over the last 10 days, with losses mounting daily.
Many now fear total crop failure.
As the country grapples with concerns over food security, affected farmers say the invasion has forced some of them to harvest their rice prematurely to avoid further losses, a move that significantly reduces yields and income.
One farmer, Odindo, said he lost produce worth about Sh60,000 in just a few days.
“I was expecting to earn about Sh200,000 per hectare, but that will not happen anymore. The birds have destroyed almost everything,” he said.
Another farmer, Cosmas Anyango said his losses are estimated at Sh200,000.
“I am going home with nothing. We have lost everything. It is very painful,” he said.
Emanuel Randa, a rice farmer in Block H at the scheme, said he has been farming for the past six years and has faced numerous challenges, including bird invasions, but noted that this year’s situation is the worst.
“We lose crops year in, year out, and we have been calling on the government to come to our aid, but nothing has been done so far,” Randa said.
Randa, who farms two hectares of rice, said the losses have drastically reduced his harvest.
“Normally, I would get about 100 sacks, but because of the bird invasion, I am now getting only 35. One hectare gives me about 16 sacks and the other 17, which is very low compared to what I used to harvest,” he said.
The farmers are now calling on the government to urgently intervene, including reconsidering chemical control of birds, a method that has previously been restricted due to long-term environmental concerns.
“There are many restrictions now, and we are told not to use chemicals to spray the birds anymore, yet we are suffering huge losses,” said one farmer.
Randa said “We are even appealing to the President to come to our aid before everything is destroyed.”
Kenya produces an average of about 230,000 tonnes of rice annually against a national demand of more than one million tonnes, making the country heavily dependent on imports.
The government has in recent years focused on revamping irrigation schemes such as West Kano to boost local rice production.
However, farmers warn that continued bird invasions threaten to undermine these efforts.
For now, they are relying on mechanical methods such as noise-making and constant farm patrols to protect the little crop that remains, even as they appeal for urgent government support to prevent further losses and safeguard the country’s food basket.
by FAITH MATETE
