Farmers in Mwingi region of Kitui county are in rush to harvest their produce after a swarm of desert locusts invaded the area last week and spread in the region.
A Swarm of the invasive and destructive insects that had pitched camp in the neighbouring counties of Garissa and Wajir found their way into the county forcing the farmers to embark on early harvesting to salvage their hard earned produce.
“ the Locusts are here with us and we have to salvage what we can before their clear all our farm yields especially the mature ones to ensure I have food for my family otherwise I will lose the entire farm produce to the pests” said John Muthusi a resident of Kyuso area in Mwingi North constituency.
The presence of the desert locusts poses a major setback to farmers destroying their crop yields and a threat to expected bumper harvest following successful last Octobers- December rains season in the area.
The government in partnership with the Desert Locusts Control Organization is undertaking aerial spray in the area with technical officers also deployed on the ground to control operations and train people on the ground interventions measures.
Mwingi central Sub County Deputy County Commissioner Omari Dima while speaking to KNA in his office today said the government will continue to undertake interventions and other mitigation activities to control the spread of the locusts.
Dima advised farmers to embark on early farm yields harvesting to salvage the farm produce that has matured to ensure they have food supply for their families.
The office of the Kitui governor has also deployed technical officers to fight the desert locusts and as well advise farmers on mitigation activities.
The Kitui county executive committee member for water and agriculture Emmanuel Kisangau commended interventions being undertaken by National Desert Locusts Control Unit to control the spread of the pest.
Kisangau observed that to improve efficiency of the locust control they need to maintain close ground surveillance to locate the particular areas where the locusts will be resting to rightly target aerial spraying.
By Denson Mututo
