Pastoralistsunder the umbrella of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore said they are willing and ready to quit open grazing in line with public suggestions if government would make financial and logistics provision for alternatives grazing for them.

The herdsmen admitted that open grazing is an outdated practice but said that cannot suddenly quit the age-long practice because there was no alternative way yet to feed their cattle. They promised to leave the farmlands as soon as ranches that are being proposed by some government officials, particularly southern state governors, are provided.

Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore brand Ambassador, Temitope Ajayi, made known the desires of the herdsmen when she led some officials of the Association on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, in Abuja, yesterday.

The Miyetti Allah brand Ambassador said the reason for her visit was to secure a partnership with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to support her agenda considering the position of women in nation building and development of the society.

She said: “Women as Mothers are known to be peace makers. Women and Children bear the brunt (effects) of herders/farmers crisis and all forms of battles and wars, they are the engine room of national development and therefore hold the key to the development of cattle breeding.”

She said there was need to re-orientate and change the mindset and perceptions of the Fulani herders, farmers and other entities in the country, modernise cattle breeding and end outdated practices of open grazing and other nomadic activities, and bring them up to international best practice.

(Adopted from Daily Sun)