The Katsina State Government has prohibited cultivation on cattle routes and grazing reserves in the state at the end of the 2024 farming season.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abdullahi Faskari, said this after an inspection tour to Mai’adua and Zango Local Government Areas of the state to mediate in conflicts between herders and farmers.
The SSG said that the inspection tour followed reports from herders that their traditional cattle routes, vital for accessing grazing lands, had been blocked by farms in some local government areas.
He said that the affected herders and farmers have been summoned to a meeting in Katsina to discuss the issue, especially as it relates to a section of the cattle route leading to Niger Republic.
“We invited both the herders and the farmers, along with the Chairman of the local government to verify the allegations.
“There was an agreement between the two parties that the current crops being cultivated on the cattle routes would be harvested, but this would be the last farming season on the routes.
“The team visited Mai’adua and confirmed the agreement. The affected local government areas are, Mashi, Kaita, Dutsinma, Mai’adua and Zango.
“The traditional institution facilitated the discussions, and we can now confirm that after this season’s harvest, no more farming will take place on the designated cattle routes,” he said.
In addition to the issue of cattle routes, the team investigated reports of encroachment on forest reserves in some of the areas, where over 70 hectares of land was reportedly being cultivated illegally.
“We received reports on this and have gathered information to address the matter in line with the directive of Gov. Dikko Radda,” Faskari said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inspection team also visited Zango local government, where concerns about forest land being converted into farmland had been raised.
“Government’s efforts to address the conflicts are set to continue, with visits planned to other local government areas, including Kaita and Mashi, where similar disputes have been reported.
“The goal is to prevent these disputes from escalating into larger conflicts. Our intervention aims to resolve these disputes before they become unmanageable.
“We encourage farmers and herders to report issues to the government, and we are committed to taking immediate action to maintain peace,” the SSG said.
According to him, government’s commitment to resolving the farmer-herder conflicts reflected its broader aim to foster peaceful co-existence and ensure that grazing routes and forest reserves were protected. (NAN)
