Plateau Ends Open Grazing, to Commence Ranching

Plateau State Government is set to domesticate the National Livestock Transformation Programme, as it approved a bill for the establishment of the Plateau State Livestock Transformation, which when passed into law, will promote livestock business anchored on ranching. This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Director of Press to the state Governor, Simon Lalong, Dr. Makut Macham. He said the State Executive Council (SEC) at its weekly meeting approved the transmission of the bill to the state House of Assembly for consideration by the legislature. Also speaking on the bill, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Dan Manjang, said it would facilitate the smooth transition from open grazing to ranching. Manjang said the state has been working assiduously to put in place all necessary requirements for the take-off of the model ranching programme at the Wase and Kanam Reserves which are wholly owned by the state government. He assured the state that once the programme takes off and alternatives are provided, the people would no longer be allowed to move around with livestock in the state, adding that local and international investors have also shown interest in putting their money in the pilot phase of the livestock transformation programme. Also, the Secretary of the State Livestock Implementation Committee, Prof. John Wade, also stated that the programme has zero land grabbing as nobody's land will be appropriated for ranching. The government, he said, would put into use its gazetted reserves in Wase and Kanam for the take-off. Wade said the ranching policy would also accommodate other species of livestock aside from cows, to bring in more diversification of the agriculture sector. The state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Chrysanthus Ahmadu, on his part, explained that the proposed law takes care of herders, farmers and other interests in the livestock value chain. He said in ranching, there would be dairy and beef production, fodder production, marketing and associated businesses that will create jobs for many people.