Nigerian farmers are urging the Federal Government to establish a network of commercial ranches nationwide, where herders can graze their cattle in designated areas and pay rent for the services provided.
Under the umbrella of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, farmers spoke out, urging the government to halt the nomadic movement of cattle, which has resulted in widespread crop destruction and violent clashes in numerous villages.
The farmers endorsed the proposed bill to ban open grazing, emphasizing its potential to resolve the long-standing disputes between farmers and herders in various communities and ultimately lead to lower food prices.
Femi Oke, the South-West Chairman, AFAN, told our correspondent that ranches should be commercialised and stated that this should be given speedy attention by the legislature and the executive arms of government.
He said, “I was one of the speakers during the recent World Food Safety Day in Lagos and it was raised that open grazing should be stopped because those people moving around with these cattle destroy many things. So it is not right.
“And if the government can develop a conducive environment by having some ranches where these people can easily go to, pay rent, and graze their cattle, it will be better, and this may lead to a reduction in the prices of things in that axis.
“This will be better instead of moving cattle around and destroying farm crops which people have invested on. So I am in support of the government opening up ranches, but it should be commercialised. People can rent it or the state governments should monitor it.”
Recall that on June 5, 2024, The PUNCH reported that tensions ran high as the bill to ban open grazing successfully passed its second reading in the Nigerian Senate.
The report stated that the legislative session was marked by heated debates and strong emotions, reflecting the contentious nature of the proposed law.
If enacted, this bill will finally prohibit open grazing nationwide, aiming to resolve longstanding conflicts between herders and farmers.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Titus Zam, representing Benue North West, outlines specific regulations for the establishment and management of ranches, promoting best practices and mitigating disputes between herders and farmers.
Explaining the general principles of the bill, Zam canvassed the need for the proposed commission to manage, regulate, and preserve ranches across the country.
“The proposed National Animal Husbandry and Ranches Commission is for management, preservation, and control of ranches throughout Nigeria,” the Senator had stated.
The bill, however, met stiff opposition from Senator Danjuma Goje from Gombe and his counterpart from Kebbi, Adamu Aliero.
Both lawmakers and former governors argued that cattle rearing and ranching activities were more in the North than in other parts of the country, reasoning that lawmaking should be for the entire country and not for a section.
The South-West AFAN chairman also commented on the high cost of food items in Nigeria, as he explained that pest infestation, among other factors, was the reason for this.
“The agric minister talked about it recently and I should not denounce what he said, though we discovered that there are pests that have destroyed many farms. This is why we are saying farmers should be subsidised.
“A price commodities board should be created, and when we have a crisis as farmers, the government can come to our aid and this will support us in the business.
“Most of the funds we are using in our businesses were accessed from banks as loans. So how do you cope if you can’t service these loans and there is no aid from the government? How do you cope?” Oke stated.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, on May 28, 2024, attributed the high cost of tomatoes and some vegetables to high pest infestation of the crops. He disclosed via his official X handle.
“A significant number of our tomato farms have been affected by a severe infestation known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner. This has drastically reduced the availability of tomatoes and contributed to rising costs.
“Our ministry is taking immediate action to combat this issue. We are deploying agricultural experts to affected areas to contain and eliminate the infestation. Additionally, we are supporting our farmers with the necessary resources and guidance to recover their crops as quickly as possible, just as we instituted the Ginger Blight Control Taskforce.
“We understand the impact this has on your daily lives and are working tirelessly to resolve the situation and restore the supply of affordable tomatoes. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this challenging time,” the minister stated.
Also speaking on the high cost of food, the National President, AFAN, Kabir Ibrahim, said it was not true to say that the reason for this was because of food export or smuggling.
“For vegetables, they thrive more in the dry season, but right now we are in the rainy season in the South and it is beginning to rain in the North. So these vegetables are not readily produced like before, except for people who have greenhouses.
“Also, the cost of transporting some of these vegetables from where they are produced to city centres is very high, which has further compounded the cost implication of the crops. So it is not right to say there is a diversion. It is not easy to export crops such as vegetables.
“We also witnessed devastating levels of pest infestation, which was alluded to by the agriculture minister recently. So there are a couple of factors causing the high prices of food items across the country now, and smuggling is not one of the major ones for now.”
On how to tackle this challenge, the AFAN president said, “If we learn to cultivate all year round, that is when we will have abundance, in terms of food sufficiency for our country.”
