The government is going to form a multi-industrial task force to deal with rats and golden snails that have invaded rice fields at the Mwea irrigation scheme in Kirinyaga County.
Speaking in Mwea after touring Thiba dam and all national irrigation authority projects Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Muriithi said the task force will involve the Ministry of agriculture and the county government of Kirinyaga.
Muriithi said rats and snails have affected rice production in the scheme and the ministry is now using biological methods to fight the menace in the scheme.
“We are looking at a biological control for now by introducing small fish like catfish to eat the snails but the issue of rat traps is not enough as there are very many,” CS Muriithi said.
The Cabinet Secretary also said the ministry is going to benchmark on other irrigation schemes with the same problem.
“This is a foreign thing that has come up recently,” he said.
Mwea rice farmers are now struggling to protect rice crops from the devastating impact of golden snails and rats.
Rats have also invaded the scheme wreaking havoc on rice nurseries where farmers are urging the government to urgently control the rodents.
The CS said the government is committed to increase production in Mwea rice scheme after Thiba was constructed.
