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The Federal Government has urged herdsmen to embrace ranches and
other modern rearing methods to tap from the huge potential in the diary
industry.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, made the call in Kaduna, at the 32nd pre-convocation lecture of the Kaduna Polytechnic, Pulse reports.
Represented by the ministry’s Regional Director, North West, Mr Aderemi Abiyoye, the minister said that ranches would best serve the interest of herdsmen, in terms of security and productivity.
“Currently, some states agreed on ranches, while others want grazing reserve. There is need for government and the cattle rearers to be on the same page. Ranches would not only guarantee high productivity, it will equally go a long way in ensuring security to the rearers and end the lingering clash between herdsmen and farmers,” Ogbeh said.
On his part, Prof. Wilfred Okonkwo, Department of Agriculture and Bio-resources Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said the Nigerian economy was currently in a state of uncertainty. He added that the issue of high inflation rate, fluctuations in foreign exchange market, fall in fuel price leading to low revenue generation require strong economic reformation.
In a paper entitled, “Agricultural Reforms: A Panacea for Diversification of Nigerian Economy, ” Okonkwo said the solution to the present economic down turn was diversification.
According to him, a system with various kinds of investments would yield higher revenue and pose a lower risk that one with single investment opportunity.
He commended the President Muhammadu Buhari led-administration`s current efforts to revamp the agricultural sector. He however advised that agriculture must cease from being treated as a developing programme but rather as a business and should be seen as everybody’s affair.
Okonkwo added that the country loses about N50 trillion from untapped resources including agricultural resources. He said that the ability to turn these loses to gain would result to a big plus to Nigeria`s economic growth.
He advised federal and state governments to increase investment in the sector, establish marketing institutions, develop commodity exchange strategy and improve access to mechanisation.
In his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar, the Director General, Institute for Agricultural Research, Zaria, said that research and extension services must be given adequate attention in the current policy direction of the government in agriculture. He also called for a strong linkage between industries and research institutes to make research result available for farmers to access.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, made the call in Kaduna, at the 32nd pre-convocation lecture of the Kaduna Polytechnic, Pulse reports.
Represented by the ministry’s Regional Director, North West, Mr Aderemi Abiyoye, the minister said that ranches would best serve the interest of herdsmen, in terms of security and productivity.
“Currently, some states agreed on ranches, while others want grazing reserve. There is need for government and the cattle rearers to be on the same page. Ranches would not only guarantee high productivity, it will equally go a long way in ensuring security to the rearers and end the lingering clash between herdsmen and farmers,” Ogbeh said.
On his part, Prof. Wilfred Okonkwo, Department of Agriculture and Bio-resources Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said the Nigerian economy was currently in a state of uncertainty. He added that the issue of high inflation rate, fluctuations in foreign exchange market, fall in fuel price leading to low revenue generation require strong economic reformation.
In a paper entitled, “Agricultural Reforms: A Panacea for Diversification of Nigerian Economy, ” Okonkwo said the solution to the present economic down turn was diversification.
According to him, a system with various kinds of investments would yield higher revenue and pose a lower risk that one with single investment opportunity.
He commended the President Muhammadu Buhari led-administration`s current efforts to revamp the agricultural sector. He however advised that agriculture must cease from being treated as a developing programme but rather as a business and should be seen as everybody’s affair.
Okonkwo added that the country loses about N50 trillion from untapped resources including agricultural resources. He said that the ability to turn these loses to gain would result to a big plus to Nigeria`s economic growth.
He advised federal and state governments to increase investment in the sector, establish marketing institutions, develop commodity exchange strategy and improve access to mechanisation.
In his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar, the Director General, Institute for Agricultural Research, Zaria, said that research and extension services must be given adequate attention in the current policy direction of the government in agriculture. He also called for a strong linkage between industries and research institutes to make research result available for farmers to access.
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