A World Bank-assisted initiative project, Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES), has begun a three-day training on farmer-herder conflict resolution for 116 stakeholders in Ondo State.

The training, held in Akure, the state capital, comprises major stakeholders from the three senatorial districts of the state, including farmers, herders, traditional rulers, and security personnel, among others.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the training, the state L-PRES project coordinator, Olufemi Adeogun, noted that the training is aimed at enhancing the productivity, resilience, and commercialisation of the livestock value chain within the state.

According to him, farmer-herder conflict has remained a harsh reality in society, and if left unattended to, may lead to disruption of harmony and food scarcity.

He said: “The L-PRES project aims to enhance the productivity, resilience, and commercialisation of the livestock value chain within Ondo State.

“Unfortunately, farmer-herder conflicts remain a harsh reality in our society. We continue to receive reports of incidents from different parts of the state. Such issues disrupt harmony, threaten food security, and create ripple effects on the economy.

“A key component of this project is the mitigation and, where possible, the elimination of farmer-herder conflict. By fostering peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders, the project seeks to improve livelihood and reduce violence and loss associated with these disputes.”

Also speaking, the lead consultant for the training, Ebruke Esike, highlighted trust, lack of sincerity of purpose, and poor implementation in terms of enforcement as major factors that facilitate farmer-herder conflict.

Esike stressed that the knowledge gained from the training will assist farmers and herders to work harmoniously and increase their productivity.

“The response of farmers and herders so far showed that trust is the major issue. Aside from trust, lack of sincerity of purpose and poor implementation in terms of enforcement are also major factors that sustain the conflict.

“Where there is insecurity, there is food shortage. People are scared of going to the farm, both the farmers and the herders; nobody is free. Let both reconcile their differences so that they can become more productive,” he said.

On her part, the Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Foluke Daramola, stressed that the state government has engaged in various initiatives to ensure food security in the state.

The PS, who was represented by the Director of Finance and Administration of the ministry, Gladys Adedugba, disclosed that the state government has provided various inputs, such as fertilisers and improved seedlings, among others, for farmers.

She said, “The significance of this training is to facilitate peaceful coexistence between the farmers and the herders. Both of them are working towards the same goal to ensure an adequate food supply in the state, but we discovered that in the past, there have been issues between farmers and herders.

“This has not been contributing to the goal of food security. This training is to ensure that the farmers and herders understand each other and peacefully coexist.”