Olufemi Onifade, professor of forage agronomy and utilisation at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) has said that a national herd count and upgrade of gazetted 112 grazing reserves located in 17 states of Nigeria will be panacea to the frequent conflicts between herdsmen and farmers in the country.
Onifade, who attributed incessant conflicts between herdsmen and farmers to government’s neglect of ranches and grazing reserves, failure to conduct herd count, inadequate departments of pasture and range management in tertiary institutions, among others, urging government to work in partnership with private sector to provide urgent solutions for the challenges identified.
Delivering the 53rd FUNAAB Inaugural Lecture tagged, “Grasses: Production and Management for Sustainable Livestock Industry” at the institution main Auditorium in Abeokuta recently, Onifade said that Nigeria is better blessed in terms of lush vegetation and land mass than having issues as regards conflict between herdsmen and framers, but for government’s failure to put things in order.
The Professor noted that although harsh climatic condition and varied rainy days from less than 90 days in the north to 365 days in the swampy southern areas have prompted southwards drift and subsequent destructive actions of herdsmen and pastoralists on crops which usually lead to conflicts.
“As the growing season comes to an end in the semi-arid zone, southward movement of livestock in search of green pasture begins. The 112 grazing reserves gazetted by some state governments out of 415 earmarked to cater for the settling of pastoralists and for livestock production have been encroached upon and degraded.
“These reserves were established based on the Grazing Reserve Law of 1965. The vegetation in the reserves has further deteriorated with the presence of unpalatable plants, bare ground and less tree canopy. In addition, facilities such as water dams, clinics, schools in most of the reserves are no longer functional.
“Concerted efforts by state governments on the renovation of this resource base to ‘carry’ more livestock will, to a greater extent, reduce unwarranted movement, number of animals seeking greener pastures led by pastoralists, an action which usually results in conflicts. The renovation of grazing reserves will necessitate reduction in number of animals or sales of bulls for fattening.
“The need to take another count of the National herd is urgent to enable proper planning of resources for the development of the livestock industry. Lastly, to effectively monitor the status and development of fodder resources in the reserves and across the country, and Institute for Grassland and Pasture Research should be established”, he said.
While urging Nigeria government to upgrade gazetted 112 grazing reserves in 17 states, totalling 956,738 hectares and possibly, establish more reserves, he urged the National Universities Commission to facilitate creation of at least a department of pasture and range management in each geo-political zone where solutions would be found to the identified challenges through learning and research.
In his words, “the number of graduates with B.Agric., M.Agric., and Ph.D is increasing nationwide, but still falls below the demand required for training and managing the feed resources for grazing animals. I wish to call on the NUC to facilitate the creation if at least one Department of Pasture and Range Management in each geo-political zones of this country.”
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
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