Nigeria’s Minister of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar has launched the National Pasture Development Programme (NAPDEP) aimed at mitigating the continuous crisis between Farmers and Herders in the country.
The Minister, who spoke during Tuesday’s flag off ceremony of the programme at the Paikon- kore Grazing Reserve, Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, Abuja, described it as one of the many interventions by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) to mitigate the conflict, improve the sustainability of food security, national economy and export of livestock products.
According to Dr Abubakar as conveyed in a statement by the Ministry’s Director of Press Office, ”the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) is the umbrella for all the Livestock intervention programmes and projects, such as the Livestock Productivity Improvement and Resilience Support (LPRES) and Ruminant Livestock Intervention Programme (RULIP), as vehicles for the achievement of our national aim for the livestock sub sector.”
He added that pasture development plays an important role in providing an economical source of ruminant livestock feed, improves productivity for food and human security.
Stating that the livestock sector remains a major component of agriculture’s contribution to the national economy with about 2-5% of the national GDP and 10% of agricultural GDP, Dr Abubakar said this placed Nigeria as the topmost livestock producer in West Africa.
He gave 2019 statistics of “the abundance of livestock resources” in Nigeria to include 0.28 million camels, 20.8 million cattle, 78 million goats, 42.5 million sheep, 7.6 million pigs, 213 million chickens, 11.6 million ducks, 2.1 million turkeys, 278,840 camels, 974, 499 donkeys and 102.44 thousand horses.
The Minister therefore urged all stakeholders within the livestock industry to embrace the laudable National Pasture Development Programme by active participation in the value chain for sustainable and improved ruminant animal production in Nigeria.
Said he, “this would serve as a panacea for reduction in conflict emanating from cattle movement, attainment of self-sufficiency in good quality pasture/forage production, and the transition from extensive grazing to a well-planned, settled form of livestock production.
“Therefore, as a way of continuous efforts in promoting intentional pasture development in Nigeria, I have endorsed the proposal that this flag-off day becomes an annual National Pasture Planting Day that is, 28th June every year, to encourage private and public sector investments in commercial pasture production.”
Earlier, the Minister of State, FCT, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, represented by the Director Finance and Admin FCT, Mallam Abubakar Sadeed, commended the Ministry’s effort towards the launching of the National pasture grazing reserve geared at sustainable development of livestock.
She said FCT had large concentration of Livestock, hence an enabling environment must be created for it to thrive, adding that concerted efforts were equally made in FCT towards putting in the required infrastructures in various grazing reserves, institutionalized stakeholders forum to resolve the issues between Farmers and pastoralists to allow social economic relationship between them. Dr. Aliyu stated that FCT had fully embraced the initiatives of African development bank and Islamic development bank to invest in the livestock sub sector.
In her remarks, the Director Animal Husbandry Services, Mrs. Winnie Lai -Solarin disclosed that the programme was meant to address the challenges and create awareness on the importance of growing and maintaining quality pasture, as well as promote businesses along the pasture and fodder value chain.
She stressed that it would increase climate smart livestock production, income generation, identification and registration of farmers.
In his goodwill message, the Managing Director, Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition, Mr. Temi Adegoroye said the initiative would improve farmer’s livelihood, promote national peace and security.
In another development, the Hon. Minister received in audience the Association For Registered Seed Companies of Nigeria (ARSON), led by Alhaji Sarki Abubakar, who came on a courtesy visit to his office, in Abuja.
He revealed that their focus was to ensure all seeds Companies operate within the law and pays their annual dues and renewal of license with the seed council on time every year and call on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to collaborate with Security Agencies (Nigeria Police, Civil Defense Corp) to enforce seed law across the country.