This archive report was first published on 28 July 2019.
Kenyan farmers in Miguye village, Kisumu County, are facing a daunting challenge as flocks of weaver birds descend on their sorghum fields, leaving destruction in their wake.
According to Mr Geoffrey Kungu, a local farmer, the birds arrive around 6am, forcing him and his friends to take drastic measures to protect their crops.
"We arrived here at 5am. Chasing the birds is a tedious job but what other choice do we have?" Mr Kungu asks.
As the birds fly from one farm to another, the farmers have resorted to using vuvuzelas to scare them away.
"We have gone to the county agriculture department several times. The department sent some officers to the farms twice but nothing appears to be happening," Mr Kungu told the Sunday Nation.
Obudo Border Co-operative Society chairman Vincent Okwaro estimates that about 350 acres of mature sorghum have been destroyed by the birds.
"It is now two weeks since the birds invaded our fields. I am afraid we might not harvest anything if Ministry of Agriculture and county government officials do not come to our rescue," Mr Okwaro said.
The farmers had expected to harvest 16,500 bags of 90 kilogrammes in the coming week, but the bird menace may ruin their plans.
Large scale sorghum growing is part of Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong'o's agriculture programme that was launched in March last year.
Published on July 28, 2019 by Elizabeth Ojina.
