SPOTLIGHTS
- Artificial insemination centres will provide access to improved livestock semen
- Pasture farming is being encouraged to provide a sustainable feed source for animals
- The programme aims to increase meat production and make it more affordable
- The initiative seeks to create jobs and attract young people to agriculture
- It also aims to address the root causes of the farmer-herder conflict in the state
By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
In a bid to improve the quality and quantity of livestock production, the Taraba State government has put measures in place to set up artificial insemination centres and introduce pasture farming.
The Senior Assistant (SA) to Governor Agbu Kefas on Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Zanau Maikasuwa, disclosed this in an interview with the *Daily Sun*. He said the measures are also aimed at tackling the farmer-herder crisis, which is crippling agricultural activities in the state.
He noted that with improved livestock quality, people will have access to more meat and other by-products derived from livestock at more affordable rates.
Maikasuwa, an experienced entrepreneur, maintained that the government is making conscious efforts to make agriculture more attractive so that more young people can explore the numerous opportunities and potential that the field offers.
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“We are setting up artificial insemination centres where improved semen of high-quality livestock will be available for people who want to improve their animal quality. They can take their livestock for artificial insemination so that the animals give birth to an improved version of themselves.
“The idea is that you have animals that are more resilient to diseases, grow faster, are strong and naturally produce more meat in terms of quality and quantity. Our focus for now is on cattle, goats and sheep.
“We are also carrying out sensitisation and encouraging people to embrace pasture farming. This is a system that is not very common around here but is actually a money spinner. All the farmers need to do is cultivate specific grasses that are very nutritious for livestock, harvest these grasses and sell them.
“Livestock farmers can also go into pasture farming to make sure that all year round, they have enough feed for their animals. This is aimed at curtailing incidents of the farmer-herder crisis, which has been a major threat to most communities across the state. Moreover, this will create a lot of jobs for people as well.
“Another area we are looking at is reviving extension services in the state. Extension services have gone into extinction, and it is not healthy for us as a people. Most of the policies we want to put in place will do better if there are extension workers doing their work. It is something that will take some time for a comprehensive framework of operationalisation to be put together, but ultimately, it will be worth the effort,” he said.