Kogi state government says it is willing to earmark 15,000 hectares of land for the commencement of the ranching programme in the state.
The Kogi state Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Oloruntoba Kehinde said the state government would use the opportunity of the proposed ranching system to encourage its indigenes to go into the business because of the economic benefits of cattle rearing.
“in fact in Kogi we have an initiative we are going to encourage our people to into cattle rearing, because there are benefits there hyde and skin, diary, so many things can come when you have them consecrated in one place…”
“his Excellency has seen the economic potentials and that is the reason why we have said we want to make money from this crises this are some of the initiative we have in bringing our people into mainstay of livestock business” he explained.
He said that the state government proposed the ranching system as means of solving clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
“We have a challenge as a nation now we have farmers’ pastoralist crises a lot of killings going on in different parts the country and the federal Government sat down and came up with an initiative…..it came up with the issue of cattle colony and the moment the idea was mentioned it was faced with a lot of criticisms” he said.
He noted that in as much as the criticisms and fears are understandable, the government had a responsibility to protect lives and property of the citizenry by proffering solution to the crises.
Hon. Kehinde explained that it was not enough to oppose the proposed system but also provide an alternative.
“People that objected to the proposal should please give us a credible alternative, they have said the system is not good, we don’t have a problem with so we say advise us on what to do,should we then continue with this gorilla approach?” he asked.
Hon. Kehinde, therefore called on those opposed to the ranching system to suggest other alternatives.
