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The Federal Government is considering setting up colonies where herdsmen would have facilities to rear their cattle.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this at a Strategy Retreat for Civil Servants and political appointees of the ministry in Abuja.
“We are talking of cattle colonies, not ranches. We are talking of massive cattle breed improvement through artificial insemination, we have to start immediately. We want to handle the issue of cattle rearing and crisis between farmers and herdsmen and actually bring it to a halt,” he said.
Chief Ogbeh noted that 16 states have so far donated land for the purpose stressing that “the programme is not going to be cheap but Mr President has personally informed me that if we seek help from him, he will give it to us over and above the budget we have.
Speaking on the open grazing system, the minister stated that “I know that some people argued that open grazing is our culture, once a culture begins to develop very dangerous trends, leading to warfare between people, bloody clashes and death, that culture is due for re-examination.”
He argued that since the open system is now becoming harmful, the federal government will not relent in reforming it.
“A culture must not be left because it is a culture, if it is harmful, we reform it,” the minister reiterated.
The minister will today launch the first cattle colony in Abuja.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this at a Strategy Retreat for Civil Servants and political appointees of the ministry in Abuja.
“We are talking of cattle colonies, not ranches. We are talking of massive cattle breed improvement through artificial insemination, we have to start immediately. We want to handle the issue of cattle rearing and crisis between farmers and herdsmen and actually bring it to a halt,” he said.
Chief Ogbeh noted that 16 states have so far donated land for the purpose stressing that “the programme is not going to be cheap but Mr President has personally informed me that if we seek help from him, he will give it to us over and above the budget we have.
Speaking on the open grazing system, the minister stated that “I know that some people argued that open grazing is our culture, once a culture begins to develop very dangerous trends, leading to warfare between people, bloody clashes and death, that culture is due for re-examination.”
He argued that since the open system is now becoming harmful, the federal government will not relent in reforming it.
“A culture must not be left because it is a culture, if it is harmful, we reform it,” the minister reiterated.
The minister will today launch the first cattle colony in Abuja.
