Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Audu Ogbeh has said the Federal Government’s efforts to change the grazing patterns of herdsmen will end farmers/herdsmen clashes.
The minister told reporters yesterday in Gombe that the government would build dams and provide grasses for herdsmen to end the clashes, produce healthier cattle and guarantee better milk production.
He said: “We are changing the pattern of cattle rearing to meet best global standards and address the farmers/herdsmen clashes.
“What the herdsmen do now is what they are used to. To them, the arrangement is cheaper because it is easier to move the cows around. Apart from the fact that the old method is the major cause of the clashes we now experience, it is also a threat to the herdsmne.
“It exposes them to snake bites, hyena attacks, as well as typhoid and malaria infections. They also suffer from the activities of cattle rustlers.
“So, the new grazing arrangement will lead to a win-win situation for all. We are saying it is time to change that pattern of pasturising. So, we are reopening the old grazing reserves to meet the standards anywhere in the world.
“The ministry is working and we will soon get approval from President Muhammadu Buhari to build artificial lakes, dams and get grass so that work can start quickly.
“We have tested this in Kano and the herdsmen there are looking healthier and happier as they need not roam the bushes again.”