The Importance of "Mmanwu Agu" (Scarecrows) in Farms.


By Blessing Dennis (ABS Reporter )


Apart from pests including insects and weeds, birds and other types of wild animals remain a primary headache to farmers.


These birds and animals attack crops thereby reducing the quality and quantity of farm produce.


To mitigate these impacts, farmers have continued to maintain the age - long practice of keeping  scarecrows popularly called "Mmanwu agu," in Igbo land  to scare away wild animals and birds from farms.


Scarecrows are mostly built with recycled materials into human shape to scare these animals who perceive the scarecrows as real humans.


It is also superstitiously believed that they scare away 'evil forces'.


How effective are these scarecrows in protecting the farms against wild animals and birds? Are there no better options?


ABS News spoke with farmers in Awka to share their opinion on this issue.


Mr Okechukwu Mbonu, a farmer with over ten years experience in farming different varieties of crops,  explained that scarecrows are designed to be eerie and frightening so that when seen, the animals or birds are scared away.


Mr Mbonu who is from
Amata village in  Isiagu, Awka South Local Council Area used the opportunity to plead with the State Government to create better avenues for farmers who are not engaged in large scale farming to be given farm input under the "Ugbo Az? ?n?" initiative.


An ABS staff who farmed under the Ugbo Az? ?n? initiative, Mrs Eucharia Nwachukwu  said the scarecrows prevent animals from penetrating farms and have been a great advantage to her farm.


She underlined the importance of adopting the method to increase the quality and quantity of farm produce so as to end hunger and starvation.