The Federal Government and states have agreed to set up cattle ranches in 10 states — Adamawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, Tar
The Federal Government and states have agreed to set up cattle ranches in 10 states — Adamawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara to end herders, farmers’ crisis in the country. The 10 states are in the first phase of the national ranching project. This was disclosed on Tuesday in Abuja at the unveiling of the National Economic Council’s National Livestock Transformation Plan as part of efforts to end clashes between farmers and herdsmen.
While presenting the plan, the Secretary of the NEC Sub-Committee, Dr. Andrew Kwasari, said the Federal Government and states would spend N70bn in the first three years of the pilot phase of the programme. He also said that N179bn would be spent over a period of 10 years on the national livestock implementation.
NEC, had in January, set up a committee headed by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), to look into herdsmen and farmers’ clashes. Early in February, NEC established a sub-committee led by the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, to proffer lasting solutions to the crisis. Kwasari disclosed that in April NEC approved the pilot implementation of the Federal Government-States Joint Ranching Policy as recommended by the sub-committee.
He stated, “A ranch design has also been proposed in models of various sizes clustered in 94 locations in the 10 pilot states.”
Kawasari indicated that there would be ranch models of 30, 60, 150 and 300 cows in a location within grazing reserves. He stated that government would engage the private sector and other countries “to work with Nigerian research institutes in developing national cattle breeds for dairy and beef production over a 10 years period. The plan envisages cross-breeding scheme with exotic semen of Brahman on Sokoto/Adamawa Guadli for beef cattle, while Holstein Friesian/Jersey will be used to cross breed Bunaji.”
