Livestock Farmers Seek FG’s Support to Tackle Climate Change Impact

Fidelis David in Akure                

Livestock farmers and other stakeholders have called on the federal government to urgently address the growing impact of climate change on Nigeria’s livestock sector, warning that extreme weather conditions, drought and rising feed costs are worsening productivity and threatening national meat supply.

The call was made on Wednesday at the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Stakeholders’ Engagement Plan Validation Workshop held in Akure.

The workshop, organised by Ondo L-PRES in partnership with the Federal Government, Ondo State Government, Global Peace Development and the World Bank, brought together representatives of federal and state institutions, local government authorities, traditional and religious bodies, livestock producers, crop farmers, private sector actors and other stakeholders.

Participants said climate change had introduced new challenges to livestock production, leading to declining productivity and poor animal performance under harsh and dry conditions.

They listed extreme weather events, prolonged droughts and escalating feed costs as major threats to farmers’ livelihoods and the sustainability of the sector.

Speaking at the forum, the Executive Director of Global Peace Development, Ebruke Onajite Esike, urged the government to adopt climate-smart strategies that would benefit both farmers and herders.

“Government can invest in water containment from upper to lower catchment areas and use the water for climate-smart initiatives that are mutually beneficial for farmers and herders. This will allow both sides to cultivate and use pastures in ways that support each other, whether as crop farmers or pastoralists.”

Esike explained the validation workshop was aimed at strengthening the outcomes of an earlier stakeholders’ roundtable discussion held in Akure on February 4.

“The essence of this stakeholders’ engagement plan validation workshop in Ondo State is to validate the roundtable discussion we held earlier because we intend to develop a stakeholder engagement plan for the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project,” he said.

“After this gathering, we will review the documents and data collected from the roundtable discussions and field surveys so that they can guide future interventions.”

On the recurring farmers–herders’ crisis, Esike proposed measures that could reduce tension and improve monitoring.

“For me, one solution is to reduce or ban night grazing and stop underage grazing so that cattle do not stray into farmlands. Unmanned forests should be secured by trained civilians working alongside security agencies. This will reduce tension and also support data collection on cattle movement in and out of communities.”

He added that the government should also provide structured resting points for herders.

“The traditional cattle routes have been compromised by development and population growth. Government should create new infrastructure where herders can rest, but not free of charge. Those who use such facilities should pay for the services, since resources will be deployed to manage them.”

Also speaking, the State Chairman of the Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Fadipe Olawande said climate change was increasing production costs and weakening poultry output across the state.

He called for improved access to affordable feed and climate-resilient farming techniques to help poultry farmers cope with the changing environment.

The State Programme Coordinator of L-PRES, Olufemi Adeogun, said the project had recorded significant interventions in animal health across the 18 local government areas of the state.

“Our interventions have focused on improving animal health and building resilience among livestock farmers across the state,” he said, adding that the project would continue to align its strategies with climate adaptation goals.

In his remarks, the Ondo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Olaleye Akinola, represented by Mrs. Gladys Adeduba described the engagement as timely, stressing that sustainable livestock development could only thrive in an atmosphere of peace and cooperation.