FG begins remodelling of grazing reserves into ranches in seven states

The Federal Government has begun remodelling of grazing reserves
into ranches in seven states as part of efforts to transform and
modernise the country’s livestock industry.

The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Nomadic
Education, Prof. Bashir Usman, made this known on Tuesday in Zaria
at the opening of a three-day capacity building workshop on the
remodelling of grazing reserves into ranches.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the training was
organised by NCNE for 120 nomadic education extension agents and
other officers of the commission.

Usman, who was represented by the Director, Social Mobilisation
and Women Development in the commission, Alhaji Mohammed El-Nafaty,
listed the selected states; Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa,
Benue, Kaduna and Zamfara.

He said that the existing grazing reserves had already been
carved out, demarcated and gazetted.

He added that 141 out of the 416 grazing reserves, spread across
the six geo-political zones of the country with a total of 3.4
million hectares of land have been gazetted.

He stressed that the idea behind developing the grazing reserves
into ranches was to provide state-of-the-art grazing resources for
livestock herders in the country.

This, according to him, will curtail the persistent
farmer-herder conflicts that are threatening peace and security in
the country.

He noted, “This can be achieved through the transformation of
grazing reserves into ranches otherwise known as Intensive
Livestock Production Systems.

“This entails training and re-training of front line staff and
other key stakeholders, effective community mobilisation and
sensitisation through extension services.

“It also involves the identification, mapping and clustering of
pastoralist and their communities in the existing grazing reserves
as evidence-based data preparatory for the full implementation of
ranching concept in the country.

“It equally entails the provision of the requisite resources and
infrastructure to serve as a window of opportunities for the
livestock producers to have access to improved production
facilities and social amenities.

“Other provisions include schools, security, markets, clinics,
livestock service centres, access roads, milk and meat processing
centres along the value chains as well as other critical
infrastructure,” Usman said. (NAN)