The General Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Baba Othman Ngelzarma, has asked the Federal Government to develop existing grazing reserves before providing ranches, to tackle clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country.

Ngelzarma, who made the call at the ongoing two-day retreat on livestock and dairy development in the country, said there are about 415 grazing reserves in the country out of which 144 has been gazetted, saying a quick solution to the menace is the development of the 144 gazetted grazing reserves.

This is coming ahead of plans by the Federal Government to commence the establishment of ranches, as it has secured 65,000 hectares of land from 13 states of the federation.

Applauding government’s plan to build ranches for the herdsmen, he pointed out that it would take a long period to establish ranches, however the existing reserves could be rejuvenated for the herdsmen to graze their cattle.

The Guardian had exclusively reported that the proposed grazing reserves might not be ready till 2018 because of logistics measures that needed to be put in place for herdsmen to graze their cattle and also the provision of value chain around the ranches.

The MACBAN scribe said: “Ranching is not a bad idea, but it is something that has to be planned for. But now we have 415 grazing reserves out of which 144 are gazetted mostly located in the northern part of the country where the herdsmen reside. Only few are in the south west states of Oyo and Ogun.”

He added that: “The herdsmen only go to the south west in search of pastures, if government can develop the grazing reserves, provide grass, water and other amenities they will come back and stay, then we can move on to ranching. It is necessary we develop ranches, because the population of the cattles and man is increasing and ranching would further ensure adequate supply of dairy and livestock in the country.”
On insinuations that Fulani herdsmen do not stay in particular location for a long time, Ngelzarma said although moving is cultural for Fulani herdsmen, “they will stay in grazing reserves as the world is modernising and moving away from cultural things, they have to move with modernisation and accept what government is offering to them.”