The Senate Committee on Agriculture said that a permanent solution to the perennial crisis between farmers and herdsmen would lie in the importation of grazing pastures for cattle at designated places across the country.
The committee headed by former Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Adamu, said the government must provide and service pasture to curtail the movement of cattle, pointing out that even the United States of America (USA) set up pastures and provide water to grow nutritious grasses for the cattle.
Adamu stated that government must face the reality of taking some serious and painful decisions to bring the crisis of herdsmen versus farmers to a permanent end, adding that “there are no easy fixes” to the problem.
He, however, attributed the perennial clashes to indiscipline among the herdsmen, government’s failure to address the key issues promoting the crisis, and the bid to politicize the matter.
He also lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for ordering the release of 10,000 tonnes of grain to ease the suffering of Nigerians over the rising cost of grain in the country, adding that his committee had found out that the Buhari administration met many Silos empty when it was inaugurated last year.
He said that his committee was impressed that the main priority of the Federal Government on agriculture at the moment was to ensure that agricultural practices were appropriately and adequately facilitated.
According to him, the Senate is also working to give necessary legislative support to the presidency to restore the lost glory of the agricultural sector in Nigeria.
He explained that government was committed to allowing the agricultural sector to be driven by the private sector, adding that the only assignment of government was to provide the enabling environment.
