L-PRES reduces farmer-herder clashes by 70% in Kaduna
L-PRES reduces farmer-herder clashes by 70% in Kaduna
The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project interventions reduces farmer-herder clashes in Kaduna State by 70 per cent.
Dr Musa Abba, Head of the Conflict Resolution Component and Conflict Safeguard Officer of L-PRES disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Kaduna.
Abba said the project had invested in cattle stock routes and developed a seasonal calendar to regulate livestock movement while minimising encroachment on farmlands.
He attributed the reduction to interventions addressing major causes of disputes, particularly competition over land, water and pasture.
According to him, 19 communities were selected for a pilot sedentary livestock programme aimed at improving animal husbandry, reducing pressure on farming communities.
He said the communities received solar power facilities, boreholes, drinking troughs, tricycles, milking cans and milking sheds.
Abba said cattle dips were also constructed to improve livestock hygiene and support disease prevention.
He said the project distributed 5,000 solar-powered milking machines to 500 cooperatives, with each cooperative comprising 10 beneficiaries.
He added that poultry farmers received day-old chicks, seven bags of feed and glucose as starter packs to support their businesses.
Abba said livestock farmers were also provided with chopper machines for processing crop residues, including maize and soya beans, while molasses was supplied to improve animal feeding.
He explained that the tricycles would facilitate the transportation of milk for processing and the movement of crop residues to designated feeding areas.
The conflict resolution officer said the project had also provided solar-powered boreholes and drinking troughs to some livestock settlements outside the 19 pilot communities.
He said 2,500 animals were earmarked for artificial insemination to improve livestock breeding, adding that about 1,700 had been reached across the state.
On measures to address the recurring clashes, Abba said the project planned to identify and clear encroached cattle stock routes, install boundary markers and establish resting points.
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He said a proposal for additional financing had been submitted to develop 25 Kilo metres of pasture along a primary cattle stock route, with development planned at five-kilometre intervals.
According to him, the initiative would provide herders with access to pasture along designated routes, reduce the need to move cattle into farmlands in search of feed.
Abba said pasture was also being developed in selected grazing reserves in Damo, Kagarko, Kachia and Birnin Gwari.
He said 30 hectares were earmarked for pasture development, while another 20 hectares would be used for seed multiplication.
The L-PRES official said the project had implemented interventions in 22 local government areas, although activities in Jaba had been suspended due to unresolved challenges.
He said that the L-PRES had also constructed abattoirs and slaughter slabs with plans to install bio-digesters and incinerators to improve sanitation and waste management.
Abba said the interventions were guided by the ”One Health” approach, which recognised the interconnection between animal, human and environmental health.
He said regular engagements with farmers and herders, including visits to project sites, had helped the project identify grievances and address sources of conflict.
He expressed optimism that the interventions would further reduce farmer-herder disputes, promote peaceful coexistence between farming and livestock communities in the state.
