Member of House of Representatives for Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency, Dr Asema Achado has strongly condemned the Benue State Government’s plan to cede the Livestock Breeding and Investigation Centre, Raav, to the Federal Government of Nigeria for ‘structured livestock management system, involving the cultivation of fodder for cattle on 500 hectares of land’.
The Federal lawmaker made his views known in a public statement issued by Mendah Manasseh, his Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity.
According to Dr. Asema Achado, instead of ceding the Raav-cattle Ranch, Benue State Government should boost agricultural production in the state through agricultural land development schemes and mechanised agriculture.
He reiterated his call on the Benue State Government to address the ongoing attacks by herdsmen on innocent villages, which have led to several deaths and destruction of properties.
Representatives Achado said that open grazing has led to the destruction of farmlands by migrating herders. He wonders why government should prioritize livestock development over the livelihoods of the people and urged the government to implement the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches establishment law to checkmate the influx of herders and control the
killings perpetrated by the marauding herders.
Dr. Achado, applauded the Masev Development Association (MASDA) under the leadership of Prof. Iorshase Agaji for clearly rejecting the proposed takeover of the Raav-cattle Ranch by the Federal Ministry of Livestock development for promotion of Cattle business.
He lamented that allocating 500 hectares of land for production of Fodder for cattle diverts essential agricultural land from food crops, at a time when food security remains a national concern.
“Indeed, Fodder cultivation in Benue State presents ecological and health risks such as pesticide and chemical contamination which cannot be separated from large scale Fodder farming”, he declared.
The Federal lawmaker said instead of channeling resources towards livestock feeding, the Benue State government should focus on improving crop yields, mechanization, and rural infrastructure to support farmers, and stressed that the initiative is a misplaced one.(www.krestnews.com).