A leading rice farmer in Nigeria, Sani-Friday Nnaji, yesterday, said that it would be difficult to chase nomadic herdsmen out of South East because of the favourable weather conditions and the level of patronage which the herdsmen enjoy from the people of the zone.

Nnaji, who is the Vice President, Agriculture, Nsukka Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NSCCIMA, said that to stop open grazing of cattle in South East, farmers from the zone should lead by example by ranching their cattle so that their Northern counterparts can imitate them.

He made this call at his county home Mbu, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu, when the President of NSCCIMA, Barr. Sam Otoboeze, and other members of the Chamber toured his farm settlements, adding that the people of South East cannot do without cows because of the social relevance of the animal to the people.

He further said that he has planted 150,000 tress of hybrid coconut in order to become a leading coconut farmer in the whole of South East, Nigeria.

He equally expressed his desire to build School of Agriculture in his local government area to create jobs for the youths and reduce crime to the barest minimum.

“The highest patronage of cow come from South East Nigeria. We eat the meat and use the animal for burial ceremonies, thanksgiving services in churches, wedding, and all sorts of social functions.

“In all these, we hardly get farmers from this zone rearing more than 10 cows at a time. The government is just enacting laws to ban open grazing. What have we done as a people to show the nomadic herdsmen how best to rear cattle? When we start ranching our cattle, the nomads will either copy us or move away from our farms.

“That’s why I have started ranching my cattle and the animals are doing well. We have good climate for the cattle and that is why the herdsmen keep flooding our environment with their animals. We have abundant foods for the cattle and we patronize them. South East is a big market for cattle dealers.

“So, my aim is to create an abattoir for proper procession of meat in this region. I have engaged veterinary doctors to ensure that the animals we rear are in good health for healthy human consumption,” he explained.

Earlier in his remarks, the President of NSCCIMA, Barr. Otoboeze, described Nnaji, as a man of vision, adding that through him, agriculture would be revolutionized in Nsukka cultural zone.

He added that the zone has both human and natural resources to make it a leading economic hub in Enugu State, adding that NSCCIMA would partner industrialists in the cultural zone to rejuvenate its economy. (Sunday Vanguard)

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