End of Farmers, herders clash in sight, says El Rufai

GOVERNOR Nasir El-Rufai, has said that a lasting solution will soon be found to the frequent farmers/herders clashes, as the pastoralists have started to embrace technology in the processing of diary products and animal husbandry in Kaduna State.

El Rufai, who made this promise at the commissioning of a 500-litre milk and yoghurt processing plant  at Ladugga village, further said that with the cultivation of Napier grass in the area, nomads do not have to go outside their domains in search of greener pastures. The governor further said that  the processing plant in Ladugga   will  end the situation  whereby  nomadic women take their  milk and other diary products to long distances in order to sell.

The governor who was represented by Dr Hadiza Balarabe, his running mate in the next election,  said that the processing plant was built  through a partnership between the Kaduna State Government, Ladugga Cooperative Society and Business Innovation Facility (BIF), a UK-DFID programme.

Dr  Balarabe further said that the plant will also end the  era when  the nomads lose  income owing to  lack of storage and preservation technology and facility. El Rufai’s running mate, who was conducted round the facility by Dr. Ayo Celestine, a consultant for BIF, said  that it will have a positive   impact on the lives of many people in the area.

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According to Dr Celestine, the facility produces Wule Yoghurt, which is now being sold in the  market. Speaking at the occasion,  state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Dr Manzo Daniel Maigari, narrated how the increased milk and dairy production, which necessitated the setting up of the processing plant, came about.

According to the commissioner, his ministry and BIF had encouraged  pastoralists in Ladugga Grazing Reserve  to experiment the growing of Napier grass in 2015.

Dr Maigari said that  they however did not envisage that  the  increase in  yield will  be  as high as 200 % in milk and dairy production. He recalled that before the experiment with Napier, the cows in the area were producing 1 litre of milk per cow.

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The commissioner said that right now,   the cows  produce 3.5 litres per cow per day on the average, thereby raising their owners’ earnings and improving their lives.

Dr  Maigari further pointed out that the fortunes of the nomads have now changed for the better, especially when  the    state government and BIF  built the  milk processing plant for the production and preservation of yoghurt. He said that 43 milk collection centres have been  established for nomadic women to sell their milk at a  much higher price.

He further revealed that the  nomads were trained in hygiene, pasteurization and preservation of milk to ensure that the product is standard for the milk and dairy market.

According to him, about 200 hectares of Napier  is being cultivated, indicating the success of the experiment and how it is gaining acceptance among nomads. Corroborating Maigari’s claim, the Country Director of BIF, Mr  Soji Apampa,  disclosed that  Katsina, Kano, and Edo states  have all embraced this innovation, adding that   cultivation has now reached over 250 hectares across Nigeria.

He said that studies have shown that using Napier reduces the cost of feeding an average cow by 45% and one hectare of Napier grass sustains 20 lactating cows for a whole year.

It will be recalled Kaduna state has designated four of its 17 grazing reserves for the cultivation of Napier in an effort to introduce ranching, a programme conceived by the Federal Government to address herders-farmers clashes in the country.