The federal government says it is considering importing improved pasture seeds for intensified cultivated pastures and not grass for the direct feeding of cattle.Dr. Egejuru Eze, Director in animal production and husbandry services of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture said “with improved pasture seeds we can get excellent grass and legume seeds that are guaranteed to improve the vitality of the national herds under proper
management.”
Eze added that even if they are planted in areas with poor soil and harsh environmental conditions, they will still be able to yield forage of high quality, though there will be need to spend huge amounts on maintenance and fertilising, with improved pasture which is of paramount importance to grazers, livestock owners and breeders.
She said the importation of the improved pasture seeds will also go a long way in reducing/ending the pastoralists, crop farmers’ clashes resulting in the loss of lives and property.
“The minister’s intention to import improved pasture seeds is aimed at enhancing the process of developing Nigerian livestock industry by sustainably increasing the nutritive value and performance of our pasture grasses and legumes, improving nitrogen level, the overall structure and health of the soil as well as ensuring all year availability of the national herds.”
A natural diet for cattle is mainly plants that can be grazed or browsing. Cattle do graze and browse, but they are more grazers than browsers and their four-part stomach helps them to slowly digest relatively large amounts of grasses.
Rearing animals in Nigeria is far behind the age we live in, and the system needs urgent change, for livestock production to be truly treated as a business. It will entail the introduction of better varieties and a deliberate enrichment of the soil so the grasses wouldmeet the nutritional needs of the animals for optimum growth and performance. They make production more profitable, increasing the quantity of meat and milk available to the growing populace.
The importation of grass from China, according to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, would solve the persistent crisis between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria.
The Minister reiterated this while addressing the people of Agatu local government Area of Benue State over the attack and slaughtering of about 400 Agatu people.
Importation of grass for developing Nigeria’s pasture for commercial purposes is not intended to be in perpetuity or business as usual, but as a short-term intervention. The quantum of grass seeds to be imported to commence the pasture improvement programme and establish Nigeria’s commercial fields is nothing to warrant worries about impacts on foreign exchange.
As the seeds germinate and some localised fields are established, multiplication of grass becomes easier locally. Better qualities of grasses are expected to help stop nomadism and the attendant
conflicts.
Great opportunities exist in this new outlook of agribusiness as roaming becomes outlawed and cattle herdsmen keep their animals in confined environments where they will require supplies of grasses and other forms of animal feeds.
According to agronomists and soil science experts, there is nothing bad in importing grass if they can be cross bred with local breeds to produce better cultivars for local use.
“What matters is the cost- benefit to the value chain in livestock production,” they said.
The Economic Confidential gathers that Nigeria has an estimated 15 million cattle, 34 million goats and 22 million sheep that need to be fed daily. Compare these statistics withNigeria’s population of about 170 million and think of how many cattle, sheep or goat per person. Think of the slow growth and retarded development of the indigenous breeds fed on poor quality grass.
Also, consider the short duration of rainy season in most parts of the savannah regions of middle belt and north of Nigeria where animal rearing is done mostly the traditional way, uncontrolled grazing by animals is capable of exposing fragile land to erosion and landdegradation. This is in addition to the well-known crisis and conflicts that have become associated with incursions of roaming animals into crop farms, leading to human fatalities. If there were enough grasses on the vast landscape these conflicts would have been non-existent.
Although, some observers say that grass is so much all over Nigeria that with proper planning and integration, it could be cultivated with the specific purpose of feeding the cows in the north.
Experts also argued that the fact that Saudi Arabia is importing grasses from the United States does not mean that Nigeria must follow their example, especially when it is a known fact that Saudi Arabia is at the heart of desert lands.
Consequently, analysts also argued that grass is what everyone can feel and touch everywhere in this country. We do not need to go abroad to import it. It is like importing crude oil into the Niger Delta for processing, it is uncalled for. The potentials in this country are enormous; the challenge is for the leadership to use these enormous manpower resources to achieve the requisite goal of the nation. We have them in Nigeria; we must continue to put them to work.
Before the introduction of the synthetic foam mattress, “we were using mattresses made from grasses cultivated in the streets, nooks and crannies.”
“We can return to that era and help create job opportunities for our farmers. It is doubtful if there is any specie of grass that cannot be found in Nigeria.”
Several other persons that lamented that our officials have become very lazy, only looking for readymade and wasteful solutions. They also lamented the intense cravings for imported products and services which is not the only way to make progress.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development was further advised to look for young men with fresh ideas to execute his programmes, his ideas as they are presently, appear too farfetched.