'Provide commercial ranches for herders' - Farmers tell FG

Some Nigerian farmers have advised the Federal Government (FG) to establish commercial ranches all over the country for herders to graze their cattle and pay rents for the services gotten from the ranches.

Speaking under the aegis of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), they said the FG must put an end to the movement of cattle from one location to the other, as it causes the losses of crops and clashes in many villages.

They also asked for a bill that would ban open grazing.

The South-West Chairman, AFAN, Femi Oke, added that ranches should be commercialised and stated that this should be given speedy attention by the legislature and the executive arms of government.

He said, “I was one of the speakers during the recent World Food Safety Day in Lagos and it was raised that open grazing should be stopped because those people moving around with these cattle destroy many things. So it is not right.

“And if the government can develop a conducive environment by having some ranches where these people can easily go to, pay rent, and graze their cattle, it will be better, and this may lead to a reduction in the prices of things in that axis.

“This will be better instead of moving cattle around and destroying farm crops which people have invested on. So I am in support of the government opening up ranches, but it should be commercialised. People can rent it or the state governments should monitor it.”

BEB