The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh on Thursday said 11 states had provided 55,000 hectares to establish ranches to curb farmers and pastoralists clashes in their states.Mr. Ogbeh made this known at a news conference in Abuja.The minister said the states were Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Katsina, Taraba, Niger, Adamawa, Jigawa, Sokoto and the FCT.He said of all the enterprise in the livestock sector, only the poultry industry had achieved an appreciable level of commercialisation.Mr. Ogbeh said other industries in the livestock sector were predominantly in the hands of subsistence farmers with pastoralist system of production contributing over 90 per cent of cattle production in the country.He said the 2011 National Agricultural Sample Survey indicated that Nigeria was endowed with an estimated 19.5 million cattle, 72.5 million goats, 41.3 million sheep, 7.1 million pigs and 28,000 camels.Accordingly, the minister said the country had 145 million chickens, 11. 6 million ducks, 1.2 million turkeys and 974, 499 donkeys.Mr. Ogbeh said this impressive statistics which had made Nigeria number one in livestock in Africa had not met the national demand of animal protein or contributed to the GDP over the years.He decried the low milk production in Nigeria as a cow produced one litre of milk a day while a cow in Saudi Arabia or Brazil produced 30 to 40 litres.“Saudi Arabia produces 4.7 million litres of milk daily while Nigeria imports about 1.3 billion dollar worth of milk annually to make up deficit.“The way forward in improving our livestockand dairy industry is to intensify efforts on adding value to the industry along the respective livestock value chains.“In line with our goal of attaining self sufficiency in animal protein, this administration has set out to establish ranches to be planted with high quality improved tropical grass and legume species.“We shall provide irrigation for all year commercial fodder production to enhance settlement of pastoralist and ensure cattle, sheep and goat improvement through an expanded breeding programme through artificial insemination.“We shall group dairy farmers in clusters, build their capacity and equip them with milk collection facilities and facilitate singledigit loan for them,’’ he said.The minister said there was a new disease outbreak affecting maize production in some parts of Edo and in the South West of the country.He gave the name of the disease as “army worm’’, adding that relevant research institutes were working on it and the ministry was monitoring the level of threat itposed.Mr. Ogbeh urged farmers not to panic, adding that the ministry would take further action if the disease is not controlled withina short time.(NAN)

ckmayoca:
Set up game. Make we see the first southern state to give up its land. It's better remain up north.

thunder74:
Omo ina la n ran s'ino. But why cant these cattle rearers get ranches?

maslong:
NO Southern states should follow this madness trend

ALTERNATEID:
Good move, I am in support of the gracing reserve if it will bring an end to the incessant farmers and fulani herdsmen clash.

And to all of you saying that southern states should not support this move, I hope you guys are ready to import all your beef and diary requirement? The ongoing tomato scarcity should teach you guys a lesson. We hate northerners so much and call them parasites but we can't do without their tomatoes.

ALTERNATEID:
Good move, I am in support of the gracing reserve if it will bring an end to the incessant farmers and fulani herdsmen clash.

And to all of you saying that southern states should not support this move, I hope you guys are ready to import all your beef and diary requirement? The ongoing tomato scarcity should teach you guys a lesson. We hate northerners so much and call them parasites but we can't do without their tomatoes.

EazyMoh:
Good development.
People above me rejecting the project. Who told you it's exclusively for Fulani. Even you can key into the project get your cattle and take them go chop federal government better grass.
Better stop looking at things negatively.

ALTERNATEID:
Good move, I am in support of the gracing reserve if it will bring an end to the incessant farmers and fulani herdsmen clash.

And to all of you saying that southern states should not support this move, I hope you guys are ready to import all your beef and diary requirement? The ongoing tomato scarcity should teach you guys a lesson. We hate northerners so much and call them parasites but we can't do without their tomatoes.

EazyMoh:
Good development.
People above me rejecting the project. Who told you it's exclusively for Fulani. Even you can key into the project get your cattle and take them go chop federal government better grass.
Better stop looking at things negatively.

idupaul:


You must be naive at heart ..you clearly know nothing about the Fulani and their monopoly ..any other tribe that take cattle to graze on their route is a dead man

EazyMoh:

See me see wahala o. FYI 50% blood in my veins is Fulani.

thunder74:

That state will be Osun State under Ogbeni Rauf.

idupaul:


No wonder you made that comment to deceive people that are not fulanis to enter grazing reserve with their own small cattle so they can be killed instantly

Dum4christ:
No, we are more civil than this. If we need to rare cattle we will surely do it right by getting for ourselves RANCHES!

idupaul:


No wonder you made that comment to deceive people that are not fulanis to enter grazing reserve with their own small cattle so they can be killed instantly