How we intend to end farmers/herdsmen clashes —NASC

DIRECTOR General, National Seeds Council (NASC), Dr Olusegun Ojo, has said that the council is planning to put an end to the lingering farmers and herdsmen clashes through collaborative efforts with some research institutes to develop seed system of pasture and forage crops to encourage ranching among herdsmen.

Ojo, made this known while speaking during the opening ceremony of a 5-day  capacity building workshop on seed research methodology, data analysis and reporting put together by the National Seeds Council (NASC), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, on Monday.

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He noted that NASC is strengthening the existing collaboration with National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi on castor seed research and development of castor seed system. “Such collaborative efforts are being firmed with National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), Shika, Zaria, for the development of seed system of pasture and forage crops to encourage ranching among herdsmen to mitigate the clashes between crop farmers and herdsmen which has become a national security concern.”

He stated that NASC is optimistic that the existing capacity building collaboration it enjoys with the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, University of Ibadan, be further explored further to include other areas that will be of mutual benefit to both organisations.

The facilitator of the workshop, an Associate Professor in the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, University of Ibadan, Dr Morufat Balogun, informed the gathering that the training workshop was aimed at building the capacity of research officers on research methodology, data analysis and reporting.

He further informed that at the end of the training, participants are expected to be able to better deliver on the conduct of the research and report of findings and related matters. “We have a strong team of monitoring and evaluation to see how much we have been able to impact and in what aspect to improve on.”

Present on the ocassion were the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Idowu Olayinka, represented by Professor Oyeronke Odunola; Dean, Faculty of Agriculture of the institution, Professor Ademola Ladele and the Head of Department, Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, Professor Rasheed Awodoyin as well as other digniraties.