Farmers-herders clashes reduced in Kano — Commissioner

By Hadiza Yusuf The Kano State Government says clashes between farmers and herders have reduced significantly following the demarcation of 1,270 kilometres of cattle routes across the state. The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Danjuma Mahmoud, disclosed this on Tuesday while outlining the achievements of the ministry. He said the demarcation had helped address recurring disputes between farmers and herders by providing designated routes for the movement of livestock.

According to him, the initiative formed part of the state government’s efforts to tackle longstanding challenges in the agricultural sector and promote peaceful coexistence between farming and pastoral communities. “One important problem that I want to reiterate is the intractable problem of clashes between farmers and herders. We have made significant progress in that regard.

“Our project provided demarcated cattle routes covering about 1,270 kilometres across the state. That is why you now hear that clashes between herders and farmers have reduced to the barest minimum in Kano State,” he said. Mahmoud said the ministry had also implemented interventions to boost agricultural production, including the rehabilitation of irrigation facilities and the expansion of cultivable farmland.

He disclosed that more than 1,200 acres of farmland had been recovered through the clearing of irrigation channels and rehabilitation of canals at major irrigation sites. The commissioner added that the state government, in collaboration with the African Development Bank-supported Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme (ATASP), had recovered more than 200 additional acres for irrigation.

He said the government had secured approval to develop 11 mini dams and irrigation facilities across 11 local government areas. “When completed, these projects will provide about 2,000 additional acres of irrigable farmland in the state,” he said. Mahmoud further disclosed that the ministry had completed more than 70 milk collection centres to improve milk handling and storage in pastoral communities.

He said the centres were equipped with storage facilities and solar-powered cooling systems to preserve milk before transportation to markets.