Senate panel backs importation of grasses for cattle

• Okays presidential order for release of 10,000 grains

The Senate Committee on Agriculture said on Saturday that a permanent solution to the perennial crisis between farmers and herdsmen would lie in the importation of grazing pastures for cattle at designated places across the country.

The committee headed by former Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Adamu, welcomes the idea of importing grazing grasses and making them available to cattle to stop the movement of cattle from place to place in search of pastures and put an end to the growing spate of tragedies associated with it.
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He said government must provide and service ‎pasture to curtail the movement of cattle, pointing out that even the United States of America (USA) set up pastures, provide water to grow nutritious grasses for the cattle.
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The committee chairman stated that government must face the reality of taking some serious and painful decisions to bring the crisis of herdsmen versus farmers to a permanent end, adding that “there are no easy fixes” to the problem.‎
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The lawmaker attributed the perennial clashes to indiscipline among the herdsmen, government’s failure to address the key issues promoting the crisis, and the bid to politicise the matter.
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Adamu also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for ordering the release of 10,000 tonnes of grains to ease the suffering of Nigerians over the rising costs of grains in the country.

Abdullahi ‎ also stated that his committee had found out that the administration of Buhari met many Silos empty when it was inaugurated last year.

He said that his committee was impressed that the main priority of the Federal Government ‎on agriculture at the moment was to ensure that agricultural practices were appropriately and adequately facilitated.

According to him, ‎the Senate is also working to give necessary legislative support to the presidency to restore the lost glory of the agriculture sector in Nigeria.

He explained that government was committed to allowing the agriculture sector to be driven by the private sector, adding that the only assignment of government was to provide the enabling environment.‎
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He stated that government must face the reality of taking some serious and painful decisions to bring the crisis of herdsmen versus farmers to a permanent end, adding that “there are no easy fixes” to the problem.‎
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The lawmaker attributed the perennial clashes to indiscipline among the herdsmen, government failure to address the key issues promoting the crisis, and the bid to politicise the matter.

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