Ranching is solution to end clashes, Taraba speaker tells stakeholders

The Speaker, Taraba State House of Assembly, Joseph Kunini, has called on stakeholders to sensitise their people on the need to adopt ranching as global best practices in livestock production.

Apart from throwing his weight behind those agitating for ranching, he also condemned in strong terms the incessant herders/farmers conflicts in the country, which he described as intractable due to its political coloration.

Speaking at a two- day multi-stakeholders regional peace building dialogue, organised by the West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Kunini stressed that ranching system of livestock production would go a long way in halting unrest between farmers and herders.

Citing the case of Taraba, where frantic efforts to end the age-long conflict met stiff resistance because of the political coloration by opponents, he said if given the needed attention to ranching, conflicts between the duo would soon be a thing of the past.

The event, organised for stakeholders from Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states, worst hit by the conflict, is aimed at reviewing emerging conflicts, risk and opportunities for collaborative preservation.

Urging all hands to be on deck and for Nigerians to eschew political and tribal sentiments by giving ranching a trial, the lawmaker recalled that the state government had a couple of years ago sponsored the legislators and others to visit Nairobi, Kenya and Brazil to study their methods of livestock production to be replicated in the state.

During the visit, he said the members discovered that these countries had long adopted ranching as lasting solution to herders and farmers conflicts.