Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The federal government is expected to commit about N5 billion worth of investments towards ranches development in Kaduna.
This disclosure was made by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Kaduna State, Abdulkadir Kassim.
Kassim, spoke at the inaugural dialogue to deepen collaboration on integration and harmonisation of policies on crop and livestock production organised by Synergos.
Stakeholders from Kogi, Benue and Kaduna States deliberated on integration and strategies to solve complex problems of poverty.
Kaduna is one of the handful of states that has offered to resolve the bloody farmers, herders’ crisis across the country by making land available for grazing reserves.
The project is to be supervised by the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo.
Kaduna has proposed to build 12 grazing reserves; the biggest which others will be modelled after will be cited in Kachia.
Kassim, also disclosed that the grazing reserves in Kagarko, Gayan and Gamakir would be equipped with the necessary infrastructure that will encourage farmers to remain sedentary.
“We are also trying to encourage private sector participation in livestock production. We invited a Danish company named Arla that is ready to settle 1000 farmers in Kubau grazing reserve where accommodation, residence will be provided, six hectares of land will be provided for each family and 10 cows will be artificially inseminated and given to these farmers on a public-private partnership that will be later paid back by the farmers,” Kassim said.
Also proving insights, the
Director of Livestock, Benue State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Edward Amali, reiterated the commitment of the state to curbing the crisis between pastoralists and herders in the state.
He highlighted the enactment of the anti-open grazing law, building of three ranches in the three senatorial zones of the state in addition to a proposal to site another in Makurdi as some of the deliberate policies made in this direction.
The Permanent Secretary, Kogi State Ministry of Agriculture, Emmanuel Idenyi, remarked that Kogi State had resolved all pending and existing crises between herdsmen and farmers.
Victor Adejoh, a Senior Field Manager at Synergos, representing the Country Director, Adewale Ajadi, stressed a thrust has been developed with pastoralists, farmers, states and federal agencies towards implementing policies for improved agriculture production.
