We’re reviving grazing reserves in 21 states - Minister

The Federal Government on Tuesday said it is working hard to resolve the farmer/herder crisis across the country through the revival of grazing reserves in 21 out of the 36 states of the federation.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, disclosed this during a webinar on ‘Nigeria dairy industry’, organised by the Policy Centre of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry to mark the World Milk Day, 2021 with the theme, “Sustainability in the dairy sector.”

The disclosure by the Federal Government came as the Policy Centre of ACCI issued a policy brief on the Nigeria Dairy Sector providing policy recommendations to deepen and expand the dairy industry.

Nanono, who spoke through a representative, Mercy Otiteh, was quoted in a statement issued by the Media/ Strategy Officer, ACCI, Olayemi John-Mensah, to have stated that the agric ministry had mobilised contractors to various sites across the country with a target to revive the grazing reserves.

The minister said work was presently ongoing with the monitoring team supervising the progress of works at the various centres.

The minister said the Federal Government was committed to providing infrastructures that would make the reserves suitable for pastoralist thereby increasing Nigerians local dairy production capacity.

He said the government was collaborating with local and international partners to improve the relationship between farmers and herders through the revitalisation of the grazing reserves urging Nigerians to support government efforts in this direction.

The President, ACCI, Al-Mujtaba Abubakar, while commending government efforts, officially released the chamber’s policy brief on the dairy sector in Nigeria.

He called for intensive backward integration within the dairy sector as currently championed by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Abubakar said, “The major policy thrust of the ACCI policy brief on the dairy sub-sector include the continuation and expansion of the backward integration currently being supported by the CBN and private sector has driven implementation of the national livestock transformation plan.

“Others include the creation of the private sector-driven ranching system, establishment of a national dairy board, training and capacity building of pastoralists and deployment of modern technology to every segment of the dairy business.”