Oyo APC gov aspirant says ranching is solution to farmers, herdsmen clashes

Adeolu Akande, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Oyo state, says ranching remains the only solution to the clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

Akande, who spoke during an event at Lead City University, Ibadan, ‎described ranching as the “elixir” to the crises which has claimed many lives.

“The elixir to the frequent conflict between farmers and herdsmen is to adopt the ranching model which will keep the herds of cattle away from the farms of farmers and away from our roads,” Akande said.

“It will not only guarantee peaceful co-existence of farmers and herdsmen, it will also stop being a major source of inter-ethnic tension.

“It  will also enhance productivity of livestock and contribute to food security in Nigeria and the west Africa sub-region.”

Akande explained that cattle reared through the ranching system fared better than natural grazing.

“The leading countries in beef production in the world do not rely on the rain for their livestock,” he said

“Research has shown that cows nurtured in ranches have better nutrients that the ones that ate exposed to hundreds of kilometres of walk. Also, the milk production by cows nurtured in ranches is much more than the milk produced by roaming cattle.

“For instance, an average cow in Brazil produces 40 litres of milk per day compared to the 10 litres produced by the roaming cattle in Nigeria.”

Akande, who was recently inaugurated as chairman of the board of the Nigeria Information ‎Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said some people disguise as herdsmen to perpetrate crime.

He listed limited resources, climate change and conflict, as part of the reasons herdsmen and farmers clash.