One of the beneficiaries, Rejoice Simon with gladness collects her planting materials

Abuja - More than 100 farmers and pastoralists received input and planting materials for pasture establishment in Taraba state as works towards ensuring peaceful co-existence between farmers and herders continue. It is well-known that one of the underlying reasons for the crisis, which has remained intractable in some parts of Nigeria, especially in the north-central is the competition for natural resources and the quest to sustain livelihoods.

The distribution done in collaboration with the government of Taraba state, facilitated through the United Nations Peace Building Support Office (PBSO) funded UN joint project, “Integrated Approach to Building Peace in Nigeria Farmer-Herder Crisis”, is built on the livelihood support pillar and ultimately promote economic interdependence between the farmers and herder in the three pilot states of Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba.

At the Flag off distribution ceremony in Jalingo the Taraba state capital on Tuesday 31 August 2021, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources David Kassa Ishaya charged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the capacity building programme facilitated by FAO-trained extension workers in the state on the production of alternative animal feeds. “This effort will go a long way in curbing the problems of Open grazing in the state”, he said.

“I wish to call on the beneficiaries to be focussed and make meaningful use of these inputs given to you for the purpose for which they are meant for, as this will also benefit other herders/farmers in future”. Noting, the state government enacted laws upon which the Grazing reserves were converted into Ranch sites and/or model pilot ranches, which afford farmers/herders an opportunity to grow pasture grasses (Napier, Gamba, Lablab and Stylos) for meeting their livestock feed needs and sale to diversify their incomes.  In addition, these are “to serve as demonstration and teaching centers where herders and farmers, interested youths and women will learn skills for ranching and modern livestock production”.

The FAO Representative in Nigeria and to the Economic Community of West Africa states (ECOWAS) Fred Kafeero said “In all of the five States where FAO supports governments in the implementation of National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP), the goal  is to manage conflict,promotion of economic interdependence and peaceful co-existence among farmers and herders through improved land use, alternative feedstock and water management to reduce competition over natural resources”.

This was achieved in partnership with the government of Nigeria, the Multi- Partner Trust Fund intervention jointly implemented by the United Nations Country Team through UNDP, FAO, OHCHR and UN Women.

Beneficiaries Testify

Ladi Bitrus resides in Monkin community of Zing Local government area of Taraba state, she has a few cows, sheep and goats. She said before the training on alternative fodder production, their animals lacked access to proper feeds, due largely to the fear of encroaching into other people’s farms, but “now  “the animals don’t go out anymore, it is the feed we were taught to make that we use in feeding them. The feeds we prepare have provided remarkable strength and a healthy appearance to our livestock.

For Nna Taku the capacity building encounter on alternative feeds has led to significant changes in the lives of farmers and herders alike. He said “it has reduced the skirmishes between us farmers and the herders, before now in this place, we had real issues between farmers and herders, but with the help of God and assistance from the organisation, they have taught us the things to do regarding what they will feed on and have the animals domesticated at home. At a certain time, when we herd our sheep, and different kinds of animals, we risk our animals getting killed. At our door steps, we now have the pastures we have been looking for from long distances. As a farmer, you can see, we don’t have a problem with herders any more”, he said.

Key Achievements

Since inception in 2018, FAO has deployed its technical expertise in animal production and health to bring out positive outcomes, including: Assessment of alternative fodder/feedstock opportunities in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states and dissemination of this information to more than 2,800 farmers and herders using FAO farmer field school approach.

• 60 government agricultural Extension agents given capacity on innovative knowledge of alternative locally sourced fodder/feedstock such as crop residues, napier grass, hydroponic fodder for further dissemination to farmers and herders in their LGAs.
• Socio-economic profiling and provision of pasture inputs (hybrid napier planting materials, fertilizers & knapsack sprayers) to more than 1,000 farmer/herder around mayo-kam grazing reserves in Taraba State for the establishment of pasture/ranches on their respective farms.
• Re-demarcation and topographical surveys of 41 468 hectares of land earmarked for the grazing reserved. This was in collaboration with the office of Surveyour General in the State.
• Beaconing of 5 000 hectares (out of the 41 468 hectares) of land in the Mayo Kam for piloting of a model ranching facility.
• Piloted modern ranching on 3 hectares of Land in Mayo Kam grazing reserve in Taraba State through mechanized land preparation for hybrid napier establishment, provision of water harvesting structures and irrigation system
• Installation of two (2) solar-powered borehole for the provision of water for both human and animal consumption and installation of drip-irrigation system for pasture.

For more information:

Emmanuel Kihaule - FAO Nigeria, Communications Specialist

E-mail : [email protected]

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• David Tsokar - FAO Nigeria, Communications Specialist

E-mail : [email protected]