The Yobe State Livestock Development Programme has demarcated and beaconed additional 125 kilometres of stock routes from Damaturu to Dazigau, near Bauchi State, to ease cattle movement and curb farmers-herdsmen conflict.
Dr. Mutapha Gaidam, the Manager of the programme, made this known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Damaturu on Wednesday.
He said that more than 1,000 kilometres of stock routes had been demarcated and beaconed across the state in the last eight years.
Gaidam said: “This has effectively checked farmers-herdsmen conflicts in the state because there are no problems associated with herdsmen encroaching into farmlands or farmers encroaching into the routes.’’
Gaidam said that the government had also provided water facilities along the routes to avoid herdsmen’s encroachment into farmlands while searching for water.
He said: “The provision of boreholes with generators on the stock routes, which guarantees availability of water, has encouraged herdsmen to move on to the demarcated routes.’’
Besides, Gaidam said that arrangements for the 2017 mass animal vaccination had reached an advanced stage.
He said: “Government has been providing free vaccination against trans-border diseases to livestock in the state.
“The common trans-border diseases include Contagious Bovine Pluropneumonia, Black Quarter and Peste des Petits Ruminants and Rabies.’’
The manager said that the programme had developed a fodder bank, growing different varieties of grass species to boost animal feeds production in the state.
Gaidam explained: “In view of the long period of dry season in the state, the programme is transferring this knowledge to our local livestock farmers to cultivate personal feed farms to provide adequate feeds for their livestock.
“This will improve the quality and quantity of meat as well as dairy production in Yobe, while boosting the state’s economic growth.’’
– NAN