FG Calls For Suggestions On Proposed Grazing Reserves

CHANNELS TV

The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Audu Ogbe, has called for suggestions as well as criticisms from Nigerians especially those in the livestock sector, on the proposed National Grazing Reserves, to help the federal government increase the country’s livestock and diary production in the near future.

The Minister said Nigeria has no excuse to becoming self-sufficient in diary production and livestock as well as a net exporter when countries like Kenya, India and New Zealand have achieved similar feats with Uganda ranking 3rd largest diary milk producer in Africa with barely 30 million in population.

He said grazing reserve is a solution the herdsmen crisis and create room for better livestock as well as greater yield of milk which will cut out the 1.3 billion dollar spent annually on importation of milk to Nigeria.

Mr Ogbeh was speaking during a Africa Business Round Table, which brings together policy makers, private sector, commercial and development banks.

The round table also seeks to set an agenda for commercializing livestock and dairy products value chain in Nigeria through production upscale.

The Minister said the plan to set up a national grazing reserve continues as the first step towards arresting the crisis threatening to shoot out from that sector which has been abandoned over the years.

13 states have so far pledged 5000 hectares of land each and more support is expected even as calls go out for greater engagement with Nigerians and cattle breeders to ensure complete buy in to the plan.

Experts however believe that some things must be put in place first, such as a Ranching Policy to regulate the operations of the ranchers and cattle breeders to guard against future environmental degradation among other things.