Federal authorities yesterday flagged off the 2025 Nationwide Pasture Planting Day on the historic Kawu Grazing Reserve within the Bwari Space Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It pledged to rework grazing reserves into hubs of sustainable livestock manufacturing, peaceable coexistence, and {economic} empowerment.
The minister of Livestock Growth, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, described the ceremony as extra than simply planting seeds and referred to as it “the sowing of a imaginative and prescient” to resuscitate grazing reserves, promote environmental stewardship, and strengthen Nigeria’s livestock worth chain.
“Our grazing reserves, such because the one in Kawu, aren’t merely patches of land however hubs of alternative for pasture and crop manufacturing, breed enchancment, veterinary providers, youth and girls empowerment, and meals safety,” Maiha stated.
Highlighting the challenges posed by insufficient high quality fodder, the minister introduced that eight pasture varieties had been launched into the nationwide seed system for the primary time in 48 years.
He stated the ministry was additionally establishing pasture seed banks, feedlots, irrigation and water harvesting methods, and forging analysis partnerships with universities, the Nationwide Animal Manufacturing Analysis Institute (NAPRI), and worldwide companies to advertise high-yield, drought-tolerant pasture species.
Maiha counseled the Kawu neighborhood, the Buhari Emirate Council, and growth companions for his or her assist, urging Nigerians to see the planting as a logo of hope for a future the place livestock manufacturing thrives alongside environmental and social stability.
Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, who represented the FCT Administration, counseled the initiative as a strategic step to make sure year-round high quality feed for livestock, scale back overgrazing, forestall land degradation, and improve peaceable coexistence between farmers and herders.
She stated the Kawu Grazing Reserve might function a mannequin for different states with correct administration and infrastructure.
The district head of Kawu, Alhaji Ali Dankawu, welcomed the venture however referred to as on the FCT Administration to deal with compensation for unique landowners of the 9,000-hectare reserve and enhance safety for surrounding villages.
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