Researchers introduce mono-sex prawns to fight snails in Mwea Irrigation Scheme

Kenya’s largest rice irrigation scheme in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, is battling a relentless enemy, invasive golden apple snails. The pests have overrun rice paddies since 2020, slashing yields by almost half and leaving farmers desperate. Traditional control methods have failed, but as Emily Chebet reports, science may now offer a lifeline. Kenyan and Israeli researchers are piloting the use of mono-sex prawns that feed on the snails, promising a double victory for food security and public health