ACF backs Northern govs, says open grazing outdated

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has aligned itself with the position of the Northern Governors Forum that open grazing of cattle in the modern era is not sustainable.

The foremost northern group stated this through its National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Yawe on Tuesday in Kaduna State.

In a communique released on Monday after a virtual emergency meeting and signed by its Chairman, Simon Lalong of Plateau State, the northern governors said that the current system of herding conducted mainly through open grazing was no longer sustainable in view of growing urbanisation and population of the country.

“Consequently, Forum resolved to aggressively sensitise herdsmen on the need to adapt new methods of herding by ranching or other acceptable modern methods,” the communique read in part.

The northern governors appealed to the Federal Government to support states with grants to directly undertake pilot projects of modern livestock production that will serve as springboard and evidence for breaking resistance to the full implementation of new methods of livestock production.

Open grazing has been blamed in many quarters for the frequent bloody clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers across the country.

Reacting to the communique, Yawe said, “We support the stand of northern governors.”