The Nigerian federal government is set to demarcate 6,000km cattle
routes across the country FG will also handover dams, boreholes,
grazing reserves, stock routes and other facilities to the herdsmen. The
FG added that it would encourage them to settle down in one place
The
federal government says that it will demarcate 6,000km cattle routes
across the country in 2017. Alhaji Mahmud Bello, National Coordinator,
Grazing Stock Routes, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, said this in an interview in Mararaba Dajin, Tafawa Balewa
Local Government Area of Bauchi state “We are going to provide 6,000
kilometres of cattle routes across the country; we are going to open the
primary routes first, while the state and local governments are
expected to launch the secondary routes.
“By
the time we identify the primary stock routes, being frequently used,
we will develop them. ‘‘All the same, all the states may not have an
equal share of the routes; Bauchi may have 200 kilometres and Plateau
may have 50 kilometres but we are going to spread it,’’ he said. Bello
said that the cattle routes were aimed at boosting livestock production,
adding that crop farming had benefited a lot from the agricultural
policies of the previous administrations. He said that the ministry
would also improve the genetic resources of the indigenous cow, which
was currently producing 1.5 litres of milk per day, to enable it to
produce 25 litres of milk per day. According to him, the new plans will
prevent people, particularly farmers, from encroaching into stock
routes, grazing areas and selling those areas that have been mapped out
as graving reserves since 1962. Bello said that dams, boreholes, grazing
reserves, stock routes and other facilities, which the government had
earlier provided for the pastoralists, would be handed over to them for
optimal utilisation. He noted that such facilities were hitherto
abandoned by herdsmen who decided to migrate to other areas, thereby
resulting in their clashes with farmers. READ ALSO: Boko Haram attacks
army base in Borno state “This time around, the federal government will
strive to hand over all the facilities to the pastoralists so as to
enable them to take care of them. “Besides, we are going to develop 50
hectares of land as pasture development centres for seed multiplication
in all the grazing reserves in the country. “The centres will serve as
seed banks for commercial pasture production, as part of the goals of
the proposed youth empowerment programme,’’ he said. Bello recalled that
the federal government had, in 2016, requested state governments to
provide 5,000 hectares of land within their grazing reserves for
commercial pasture production. He said that when the pasture development
project was executed, it would encourage pastoralists, who were
migrating in search of pasture and water for their animals, to settle
down in one place. He said that in 2016, the ministry carried out a
public sensitisation campaign on the programme in 10 states, adding that
it was currently carrying out the campaign in five other states.