Herdsmen
By Chukwuemeka Opara
Abakaliki, May 31, 2018 (NAN) The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has bemoaned the effects of herders’ activities on its benefiting farmers.
Mr Ameh Onoja, IFAD—VCDP National Programme Coordinator (NPC), who disclosed this in Abakaliki at the pre-season training for farmers and extension workers, noted that the situation was ‘worrisome’.
Onoja, represented by Dr Chika Unamma, Agricultural Production Advisor, IFAD headquarters Abuja, said that rice farmers in Benue, Taraba and Niger were mostly affected.
“Rice is grown in low land areas and valleys, as IFAD has introduced dry season farming of rice in most of our benefiting states in the country.
“During the dry season, grasses in most areas are dried and farmers assemble at the valleys and dry lands to cultivate rice and other produce.
“The herders then use these areas as pastures for their cattle, a situation that has chased the farmers from their farms, especially in Logo, Guma and Gwer East of Benue,” he said.
According to him, the mitigation to the problem is constant dialogue among concerned stakeholders and the adoption of the ranching mode of pasturisaton by the herders.
“It is only in Nigerian that herders still rear cattle from place to place as countries such as Canada, United States and even Saudi Arabia adopt the ranching system.
“It should be stated that cattle rearing is a serious business for the herders, while farming is also a serious business for the farmers.
“The situation made us support the Benue and Taraba governments’ ban on open grazing as the national committee on the framers/herders issue headed by Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi, also adopted the ranching system,” he said.
The NPC noted that the farmers would be trained on farming pre-season techniques such as evaluation of field experiences, adoption of effective approaches, usage of farming technologies to improve yield, study of market situations and dynamics, among others.
Mr Ikechukwu Nwobo, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Ebonyi remarked that his ministry would commence the distribution of inputs to farmers profiled by IFAD soon.
“We want to commence the immediate distribution of these inputs and grants, which include cassava stems, rice seedlings, fertilisers, funds for land preparation, among others, early to avoid the usual hiccups.
“The grants given to farmers in the past were diverted by political farmers, so we would check the trend by distributing the inputs before giving the grants.
“We want these inputs to be put into use before giving the grants as the government would establish buy back centres to procure the produce from the farmers,” he said.
Mr Sunday Ituma, IFAD-VCDP Ebonyi Coordinator, noted the training is contained in the programme’s second component with the farmers trained on input usage, nursery preparation, planting and spacing, fertiliser application among others.
Ituma, represented by Mr Darlington Onele, IFAD VCDP Agricultural Production Officer in the state, noted that over 7, 000 farmers benefited from its input distribution in 2017 but the number would reduce in 2018.
“We would presently assist 1,070 farmers – 950 for rice and 120 for cassava, because the programme stipulates that farmers assisted for two years would no longer be assisted.
“They would be linked with various categories of anchor borrowers and other credit facilities while being expected to assist other farmers,” he said.
Miss Rita Edeze, one of the participants commended IFAD—VCDP for the training, saying that it would go a long way to enrich her farming knowledge for enhanced productivity.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that lectures and other forms of tutorials were given to the participants by renowned agricultural consultants. (NAN)
RCO/AFA
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Edited by Felix Ajide