Fulanis across Nigeria have been urged to make Nigerians proud by using alternate grazing with hay storage in feeding their cattle in pens as obtained in advanced countries instead of grazing with a call on the federal government to launch an orientation programme on the construction of pens and provision of hay.
A first class traditional ruler in the State of Osun, Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I made the call while receiving some Fulani dignitaries in his palace in Iwo.
A statement by his Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, quoted Oluwo as underscoring the importance of Fulani as one of the major providers of food for the nation stressing the need for them to modernize animal raising by constructing byre for cattle and make provision for sufficient hay as obtained in advanced countries.
Oluwo described the impact of Fulani in meat production as imperative, calling on them to respect international standard of cattle rearing to establish and sustain peaceful affinity with farmers across Nigeria.
Oba Adewale Akanbi therefore called on the federal government to launch an orientation programme on hay and pen development.
The monarch said there is no sense in farmers fighting herdsmen as animal raising is part of farming.
His words ”Herdsmen and farmers are both agriculturists. Both are factors in promoting our economy and must learn to live peacefully. To establish symbiotic relationship, the government has a vital role to play. They need to launch orientation training for the herdsmen and change their direction to alternate grazing with pen construction with adequate hay storage said Oluwo.
“The alternative to grazing is pen with sufficient hay storage. That is how it is done in advanced country. You can never see herdsmen grazing cattle in Europe. The federal government needs to orientate herdsmen across Nigeria to construct byre with adequate hay.”
