Sokoto state to provide 1,000 hectares of land for herdsmen

The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, on Tuesday, announced that the state will provide about 1,000 hectares of land for herdsmen to use as a grazing reserve.

According to a statement issued by the Governor’s spokesman, Imam Imam, Tambuwal said this at the launching a National Retreat on Livestock and Dairy Development organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The grazing reserve will spread across six local government areas of the state.

The Governor noted that herdsmen move around in search of food for their herds, however, the grazing reserve will bring pastures closer to the pastoral herdsmen.

“A properly-structured and well-managed grazing reserves will improve the well-being of our cattle. With it, we can monitor what they eat, and correctly estimate outputs we are likely to get from their products.”

“My thinking is that herdsmen move about in search of greener pasture, if we can bring the green pasture to their doorsteps, I am sure they will be willing to settle down. Sokoto will support every initiastive aimed at improving our livestock and dairy sub-sector.”

Tambuwal further noted that the state government will officially launch a commercial dairy farm before the end of the year so as to tap from the potential available in the sector.

“We are working with our partners in Argentina to ensure the realisation of the project. Our target is to commence operation in October this year and we hope it will contribute to increasing the total volume of milk produced in the country. It is an important project because it will provide job opportunity for our citizens, and will improve their knowledge on how to handle modern farm.”

In recent years Fulani herdsmen have been accused of several acts of violence in different states within the country. Grazing reserves have been proposed as a means of checking the violence.

However, the idea of reserves have been kicked against by citizens.

With this announcement, Sokoto becomes the first state in Nigeria to establish a grazing reserve.

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