…as project prepares to establish pasture field and Central Cattle market .

The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) in Ekiti State has urged Cattle rearers and other livestock farmers in the State to ensure they obtain their National Identification Numbers( NIN) in preparation for profiling of Livestock Farms by the L-PRES Project.

The State Project Coordinator L-PRES, Mr Olayinka Adedipe who gave the advice during a meeting with Cattle rearers in Ado-Ekiti, reminded them that presentation of NIN by livestock farmer is a major prerequisite for profiling by the project, urging them to ensure that they are physically present when Extension Officers visit their farms for the exercise.

Adedipe noted that L-PRES Project which is a World Bank initiative targets livestock farmers in the value chain of Poultry, Sheep/Goat, Cattle and Pig production and is embedded with the Component 3 and Sub- Components 3:1 which are pasture and land range development and construction of water production facilities in the site for animals in order to prevent the frequent crises between herders and farmers.

He disclosed that the project has received 100,000 doses of Anthrax Vaccines from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in conjunction with the World Bank initiative for vaccination of Cattle in the State.

Adedipe stressed that as part of efforts to improve yield of livestock farmers, the L-PRES project would encourage artificial insemination to ensure genetic improvement, cross breeding, overcoming infertility and prevention of sexually transmitted disease through the use of semen from healthy animals production.

He disclosed that as part of efforts to mitigate the crisis between herders and farmers in the State, L-PRES was taking steps set to establish pasture fields in the three Senatorial District and a Central Cattle Market in the State.

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In his remarks, one of the Stakeholders in Cattle rearing business and a former Acting Governor of Ekiti State, Rt. Hon Tope Ademiluyi urged government to establish cattle ranches in the three Senatorial District of the State to curb migration of herders from one place to other which is a major cause of crises between herders and farmers.

Rt.Hon. Ademiluyi stressed that ranches should be equipped with Police Posts, Access to water for livestock, Sturdy fencing to protect livestock from predators, Man-made shelters to provide protection from extreme weather as well as rotational grazing and monitoring to ensure optimal pasture use and prevent overgrazing.

He noted that regular checks on livestock health, nutrition and behavior, Periodic renovation like reseeding or replanting, maintains pasture productivity, Integration with other farming practices, Pasture fields can be part of a larger farm system, incorporating crop rotation and manure management.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Fulani – Ilorin Ado Ekiti Chapter, Alfa Tayo Aliyu called on government for intervention in the area providing anti trypasomiasis vaccines which affects their Cattle and provision of subsided drugs for their Cattle and access to Veterinary clinic Services.