In order to combat the rats and golden snails that have infested rice fields at the Mwea irrigation scheme in Kirinyaga County, the government is intending to establish a task group that will include representatives from many branches of industry.
Eric Muriithi, Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation, said that the task force would include the Ministry of Agriculture as well as the Kirinyaga County Government.
He made this statement in Mwea after viewing the Thiba dam and all of the projects completed by the National Irrigation Authority.
Rats and snails have been a problem for rice production in the plan, according to Muriithi, and the ministry is now using biological measures to combat the problem in the project.
“For the time being, we are considering a biological control method that involves the introduction of tiny fish, such as catfish, to consume the snails. However, the problem of rat traps is not sufficient since there are a great number of them,” stated CS Muriithi.
Additionally, the Cabinet Secretary said that the ministry is planning to do a benchmarking study on other irrigation systems that are experiencing the same issue.
The statement that he made was, “This is something that has come out lately that is alien.”
Mwea rice producers are now facing a difficult challenge in their efforts to safeguard their crops from the destructive effects of rodents and golden snails.
Rats have also infiltrated the project, wreaking havoc on rice nurseries. Farmers are pleading with the government to take immediate action to eliminate the vermin.
After the construction of Thiba, the Cabinet Secretary said that the government is making a commitment to improve output in the Mwea rice program.
