US ambassador supports Ortom’s call for establishment of ranches

- Governor Samuel Ortom’s call for the establishment of ranches has been endorsed by the US ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington

- Symington expressed happiness that the governor was thinking in that direction and stated that the country would be financially empowered by the establishment of ranches

- On his part, Ortom noted that ranching could solve the herdsmen crisis permanently; pointing out that while population size is increasing, land mass is not

The United States ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, has voiced support for Governor Samuel Ortom’s advocacy for the establishment of ranches for cattle rearing in Benue state, The Nation reports.

The ambassador made his comments during a visit to the governor at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi.

Legit.ng gathers that Symington opined that Nigeria could be one of the highest income earners from milk production if cattle were properly reared in ranches, instead of open grazing.

He stated: “I come from a family of farmers and part of my family used to move cattle from one state called Colorado to another state called Texas every year; and over time, they changed until now the cow business that they do is very much one that takes advantage of the land, and we have to move them on trucks.

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“I had a great conversation the other day just outside the city of Jos with one of the great milk producers of the world, a company that produces milk. And I talked to the guy and he was mentioning to me that the milk that comes from the Fulani cattle can be incorporated into the great milk produced here.

“Literally, the future of the nation could be rich when the milk of those herders get fed to the sons and daughters of families and their vegetables get fed to the sons and daughters of the herders. I am happy that you are thinking in this direction Mr Governor."

On his part, while thanking the ambassador for the visit, Ortom also sought the assistance of the US in establishing ranches all over the nation. According to the governor, the move would be a reliable way to guarantee peace.

He stated: “I have been advocating ranching, I know America for the rearing of cattle instead of the grazing we have in Nigeria today. Because of the shortage of land, the issue of grazing has become a major security challenge, especially in my state.

“Frequently, there are clashes between farmers and herdsmen because the land is not there and my people are mostly farmers. So they find herdsmen encroaching and trespassing on farmlands, thus destroying their crops and when they are confronted, it will become a fight and we have lost so much.

“I have been calling for the establishment of ranches just like it is done in America. Most of us hope that our government at the federal and state levels will come together and find a solution because this crisis is not only peculiar to Benue state."

According to the governor, ranching as it is done in America, can solve the problem of herdsmen/farmers clashes permanently because the land is not increasing, but the population is.

“When there were grazing routes in the 50s, the total population of Nigeria was less than 40 million. Today, by the 2012 projection, we are over a 170 million and by 2019, I am sure we will be hitting 200 million. So it is a big challenge. While we want to support the herdsmen to graze and rear cattle, it should not be at the detriment of lives and property of our people. So you are welcome," he said.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Governor Samuel Ortom disclosed that due to the level of insecurity in his state, he had not been able to sleep for more than 20 minutes each night.

The governor lamented over the fact that sleep had eluded him as a result of the killings of his people. However, he stated that he was hopeful that God had taken over the battle.

Ortom called on the nation’s leaders to take responsibility to end the killings, as he stated that his people could not keep living like refugees in their own land.

Nigerian herdsmen vs Nigerian farmers - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng