The Federal Government has selected Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Adamawa states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, for the pilot implementation of its National Ranching Policy.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, disclosed this on Tuesday after briefing President Bola Tinubu on the activities of his ministry at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Maiha said the pilot programme would begin at the Wase Grazing Reserve in Plateau State, which will serve as a proof of concept for the government’s new ranching model.
The selected locations, he explained, were chosen partly because they have recorded some of the highest incidences of farmer herder conflicts in the country.
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According to the minister, the government is seeking to move Nigeria away from open grazing and nomadic cattle movement, which he described as increasingly unsustainable due to the disappearance of traditional grazing routes.
“Our understanding is that large numbers of cattle on the move are crisis prone because grazing routes have disappeared due to farming, urbanisation and infrastructure development.
“Nomadism, as we know it, is no longer sustainable and we need a different concept,” Maiha said.
Under the new model, pastoralists will rear their animals in designated ranches rather than move them over long distances in search of pasture and water.
The minister said the government would promote the cultivation of improved fodder within the ranches, allowing cattle to be fed where they are kept.
“Today, we go and fetch the grass and bring it where the animals are. Better still, grow the grass where the animals are.
“There are genetically developed grasses with all the nutritional value required to feed livestock,” he said.
Maiha said the ranching communities would be developed with supporting infrastructure, including housing, veterinary clinics, schools, primary healthcare centres, solar lighting and water facilities.
He added that the ranches would be designed as economic hubs capable of attracting milk processors, modular abattoirs, bio digesters and other businesses along the livestock value chain.
“Imagine what you are going to have if you have 30,000 herds of cattle in one area. The milk collection alone will attract processors and many other investments,” the minister said.
The Federal Government has also begun consultations with pastoralist groups to build support for the policy.
Maiha said more than 34 pastoral organisations had been engaged, while a recent meeting was held with pastoralist leaders under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III.
He said another engagement with pastoralist stakeholders would take place within the next two weeks.
The minister also disclosed that the government was implementing a nationwide livestock identification programme using radio frequency technology.
Under the scheme, four legged livestock would be tagged to establish their identity, location and ownership.
Maiha said the system would help combat cattle rustling, recover missing animals and create a comprehensive national livestock database.
Beyond ranching, he said the government was expanding its livestock development agenda through dairy production, commercial fodder cultivation, modern abattoirs, veterinary services and poultry production.
He disclosed that seven model veterinary clinics had already been established, with plans to establish at least one model veterinary hospital in every state.
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According to him, about 20 states have also established livestock ministries or agencies, indicating growing acceptance of the Federal Government’s livestock development programme.
The minister said the government was particularly focused on developing the dairy and red meat value chains and strengthening vaccine storage and veterinary services.
He said the livestock sector offered significant economic opportunities, quoting President Tinubu as saying, “The value chains in the livestock sector are fantastic.”
The ranching policy is expected to form a major part of the Federal Government’s strategy to reduce farmer herder conflicts, improve livestock productivity and modernise Nigeria’s cattle production system.
