In a bid to reduce conflicts between farmers and herders across the country, the Federal Government has initiated a pilot cattle ranch program for herders.
The Acting Director of Resource Mobilization and Partnership Building, Mr. Safiyanu Yavala, announced the development on Wednesday.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, Mr. Yusuf Bukar, Yavala said the conflicts between farmers and herders, exacerbated by climate change, have led to numerous casualties, displacements, and resettlements.
He spoke at a capacity building and technical training session on Pilot Cattle Ranch, Fodder Farm, and Orchard Planting in Nguru Local Government Area, Yobe State.
He said: “In recognition of all this, the National Agency for the Great Green Wall developed a survival mechanism following a strategic action plan through the establishment of a cattle ranch, fodder farm, and orchard model to strengthen the capacities of the affected victims.
“This is why today, the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, in collaboration with Wetland Farmers in Nguru Cooperative Society, is here to encourage the communities to join the common purpose of participating in the efforts to combat land degradation.”
Mr. Baba Othman, the National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, also spoke at the event and explained how cattle ranching can significantly boost the economy through income regeneration.
“Bulk of the Nigerian livestock is reared through extensive grazing in marginal lands and grazing reserves.
“History of grazing reserves, stock routes, forage production, and pasture development is about to be repeated here, but the associated problems of management, encroachment, degradation, vegetation depletion, and land titles are so scary and potent as to warrant fresh strategies and synergy to arrest the situation from getting worse.
“To achieve sustainable cattle ranching, the government must improve the productivity and efficiency of the cattle production system, invest in veterinary services and animal disease surveillance, support the development of the livestock value chain, and promote the integration of livestock with the crop and forestry systems.”
In his keynote address, the Chairman of the Nguru Wetland Farmers’ Cooperative Association, Mr. Abba Liman, noted that the growing conflict between farmers is due to factors such as land scarcity for grazing and population increase.
He called on the need for additional support from the federal government.
The upcoming three-day training program will provide participants with hands-on experience in livestock breeding management, demonstrations of climate-smart agricultural practices, and training on orchard planting using the half-moon planting method.
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