The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said on Wednesday the ongoing National Conference on livestock would address persistent clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the country.
Osinbajo stated this during the livestock stakeholders’ conference organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other stakeholders in Abuja.
He said the conference was a deliberate plan to converge all key stakeholders in the livestock industry in order to provide a lasting solution to several challenges confronting the industry.
Osinbajo said the effort would eventually contribute to national security, adding that the Federal Government has established agro-rangers to protect ranches.
The vice president noted that about 3,000 rangers are currently undergoing training in order to discharge the duty effectively.
According to him, the agro-rangers will be strongly armed to protect ranches across the country.
Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the service would be rendered free while the rangers would be supervised by the Federal Ministry of Interior.
“In the face of expanding human population, food production and demand have increased in a commensurate manner. The pressure on land is great. There is a decline in soil fertility and farm holdings are small while grazing lands are being degraded due to increasing livestock activities, poor management, effects of climate change and increased conversion to farmlands due to high population of humans.
“We have heard so many have lost money, 300 cows rustled and other 200 taken. We have now put together a new security group called agro-rangers. This group is being trained by the ministry of interior. They are heavily armed. 3000 of them are heavily trained.
“If you have a ranch or big agricultural project, approach us, we will post them to you at no cost. They will protect your investment,” Osinbajo said.
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