The department of Agritex has encouraged farmers to grow traditional crop varieties and at the same time start identifying nesting areas for qualia birds to enhance mapping for the destruction of the invasive birds.
Swarms of qualia birds usually invade millet, sorghum and wheat farms and destroy vast stretches.
Government is encouraging farmers to grow drought-resistant and traditional crop varieties which are however prone to attack by the qualia birds.
In areas where the swarms have invaded in the past like in Hwange, farmers have been left counting losses.
Bulawayo and Matabeleland North acting provincial director for agricultural rural development services Dumisani Nyoni said knowing nesting areas for the birds helps in mapping.
“We encourage farmers to plant early maturing varieties and traditional grains and not the medium ones. Traditional grains, like early maturing varieties, have the potential to give better yields even in low rainfall,” said Nyoni.
He said farmers should invest in protecting their crops from weeds and pests.
“Weeding is important so that we preserve the little moisture. Farmers should also monitor qualia birds so that we start mapping populations and where they nest. We don’t want to lose grain to pests,” said Nyoni.
Farmers, both in rural and urban areas, have been busy in the fields planting following heavy rains that have been falling in most parts of the country.
