The chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Modibbo Yahaya, has urged the government to commission some already completed parts of the Wawa-Zange grazing reserve in Gombe State.
Yahaya disclosed that if this was not done, some already constructed facilities may be dilapidated before the entire completion.
The chairman also lauded the Federal Government, while urging for expedited action towards the inauguration of facility, so that herders can begin to reap the benefits of the National Livestock Transformation Programme.
He stated this on Thursday during a meeting with the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.
He said, “We want to thank the FG for the transformation of Wawa-Zange grazing reserve. However, if these facilities are not immediately put to use for the benefit of herders in the state and beyond, I am afraid the beautiful structures may deteriorate at the expense of taxpayers money.”
Commenting on the welfare of herders, Yahaya said the administration of Governor Muhammadu Yahaya has been steadfast in resolving issues relating to members, adding that there was need for increase in the quantity of animal feeds being distributed to cattle breeders in the state.
“The establishment of the Nono grazing reserve is another step in the right direction; so, to me, herders have never had it this good in Gombe State, and we want to sincerely thank Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for always being there for us,” he added.
On his part, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Muhammad Getado, revealed that the FG would, in collaboration with Gombe State, establish another grazing reserve in Nono district of Yalmatu Deba Local Government Area of the state.
He explained that the Nono grazing reserve, which is expected to sit on a one-hundred hectare of land, would consist of solar and motorised boreholes, clinics for both humans and animals, a milk collection centre, and a hay growing field for animal feeds, among other things.
Getado said, “The establishment of a new grazing reserve in Nono district will not undermine the gains so far recorded in Wawa-Zange grazing reserve, but it is a deliberate and conscious effort by the Federal and the Gombe State governments to boost livestock production.”
He stressed that the present administration of Governor Muhammadu Yahaya is committed in the smooth implementation of the FG’s livestock transformation agenda in the state.
The commissioner appealed to members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in the state to be vigilant in maintaining peace and security, by reporting to security agencies any strange or suspicious movement within their vicinity.
Also, the Federal Director of Agriculture, Musa Inuwa, challenged cattle breeders in Gombe State to derive pleasure in sending their children to school, “so that the transformations associated with the fast changing times will not catch members unawares.”
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