By Abdullahi Salihu

Yobe government has provided 2,500 hectares of land to the Federal Government for the establishment of grazing reserves and development of fodder banks for animal feeds production.

Dr Mustapha Gaidam, Manager, Yobe Livestock Development Programme (YSLDP), told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Monday that the land was provided in Nasari and Gumsa villages of Jakusko and Gaidam Local Government areas.

The Manager said YSLDP had demarcated 1,510 km of stock routes across the state in the last seven years to ease movement of animals, thereby curbing conflicts between farmers and herdsmen.

According to the Manager, the Programme has consistently engaged farmers and herdsmen in dialogue to ensure that there was no encroachment by farmers into the routes, as well as avoid grazing on farmlands.

Mustapha said government provided boreholes with generators along the stock routes, which guaranteed availability of water and encouraged grazers to move on the demarcated routes, thereby avoiding encroachment on farmlands.

The Manager said the Programme had developed demonstration fodder bank, growing varieties of grass species.

“This process has yielded fruitful results across the state as we have not recorded a single conflict between farmers and herdsmen in the past seven years.

“Within the same period, we have also vaccinated over 5.6 million herds of cattle, sheep, goat and dogs, against trans boundary diseases,” he said.

He said the programme would train local livestock farmers to cultivate their farms with a view to boosting the quantity of animal feeds to enhance meat and dairy production. (NAN)