Fourteen selected pastoralists from the six states that make up the North-East subregion have been given heifers and means of transportation among other items to implement the Federal Government empowerment programme aimed at encouraging breeding of cattle within the local communities, ranching in order to eradicate open grazing.
At the disbursement of the empowerment Programme for the North-East subregion held in Gombe on Thursday, a Consultant for the program, Mr Abiola Fola disclosed that each of the fourteen selected beneficiaries of the empowerment will go home with a heifer, transportation among other benefits.
He explained that the programme which is through the Nigeria Institute of Animal Science has Promex Multi-services Nigeria Limited as consultants that are going around the country for the distribution of the items.
Abiola Fola further explained that the empowerment programme is aimed at encouraging the pastoralists to build their herds of cows by giving them heifers to breed, re-breed and produce more cows grazing within a reserved area.
He said that, “the animals we are giving them are young healthy female cows. They have been vaccinated to be able to stand in terms of health and other challenges. All that is needed by them, is adequate care and close observation”.
“It is intended that they will be able to breed more of these animals, derive other byproducts from the animals, not only for the meat, milk, they can also breed other animals, enlarge their herds that they can sell”, he stressed.
According to him, they are going round the geopolitical zones across the country and will, “teach and guide them on the use of current technology in their animal breeding so as to get the best.”
A lead paper presenter during the training, Dr Babawuro Yahaya from the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State, praised the Federal Government’s efforts on the implementation of the project.
He said that, “the FG feels there is need to waken our brothers, the herdsmen so that this movement of cattle from the north to south will be stopped”.
He said that the programme is being tagged ‘cattle husbandry practice’ and is aimed at the establishment of ranching across the country for proper breading of cattle.
According to him, the biggest ranch in Gombe State is the Wawa-zange grazing reserve, established many years ago to house over two million cattle but that due to encroachment and farming activities the land has now diminished and laying fallow unused.
He stated however that, “the FG is putting more inputs so that we will settle those nomads from the Northeast part of the country in that particular place”.
He further said that the pastoralists selected, were mostly heads of families who will in turn narrate and even sell the ideas to others because the issue of going to the south, always creating conflict between herders and farmers should be stopped.
Gombe State Commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Muhammad Magaji Gettado, who was represented by his Permanent Secretary, Barrister Obel Yaji, commended the FG for the programme.
While calling for peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders, he said the State Government alongside the Federal Government, have put in a number of facilities in Wawazange cattle ranch to encourage herders and cattle rearing not only in the Northeast zone but the whole of Nigeria.
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