AGRIC MINISTRY TO BEGIN PADDOCK DEVELOPMENT – OGBEH

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, says the ministry will begin the paddock development (growing of special grasses for cattle) in August. He said that the ministry has started bringing the special seeds of grass (Fodder seeds) into the country.

Ogbeh made the disclosure at an interactive session with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja and said that after some time, Nigeria would become an exporter of the grass to earn foreign exchange. He said “The Saudi Arabia is asking that if Nigeria can grow enough grass they will buy to feed their cows”.

 

He assured that with the paddock development, the clash between farmers and herdsmen in the country would be put to an end, PM news reports. “The clash between farmers and herdsmen has been getting worse by the years and by the grace of God I will bring it to an end,” He said. Ogbeh also said that no farmer would allow his crops to be eaten by cattle. He also noted that the problem had persisted because over the years, successive governments had not done enough to check the problem.

 

Citing an instance where some of the herdsmen arrested could not speak any of the Nigerian languages, Ogbeh said that most of the conflicts were being perpetuated by Fulanis from some West African countries like Senegal, Mauritania, Mali among others. Noting that one culture cannot become a source of conflict in the nation, he said that there was a need for the country to end the herdsmen roaming with cattle even if it was a culture.

 

The Minister said that there are 415 grazing reserves spread across the country, with Adamawa accounting for 73, adding that some are gazetted while some are not. He said many of them have been encroached upon, the FCT being one of the routes serving cattle going to the South East and South South from the North West through Benue. He said land has been allocated to government in some states that would be used for ranches for herdsmen to acquire for their cattle and after the development of the ranches, it would be an offence for any herdsmen to allow his cattle to roam the streets. Ogbeh said that the Ministry was collaborating with the Ministry of Interior to provide security at the ranches to check activities of cattle rustlers.