Kwara moves to end farmers–herders clashes with large-scale pasture initiative

The Kwara State Government, through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), has organised a capacity-building workshop on pasture establishment as part of efforts to reduce farmers–herders conflicts, create jobs and modernise livestock production in the state.

The workshop, held recently in Ilorin, brought together livestock farmers, investors and extension officers, with a focus on promoting large-scale commercial pasture production as an alternative to open grazing.

Speaking at the event, the Kwara L-PRES Project Coordinator, Mr Olusoji Oyawoye, urged stakeholders to embrace pasture establishment as a sustainable and profitable solution to recurring conflicts between farmers and herders. He identified competition for land and water as major drivers of such clashes, stressing that organised pasture production could help restore peace while boosting livelihoods.

According to him, the initiative is designed to equip participants with practical guidelines for large-scale pasture production, with the long-term goal of developing a market for silage and hay across the country.

“The idea is to give stakeholders the guidelines on how to do large-scale pasture production and sell to other farmers. We are hoping that in the next few years, people will be selling silage and hay in Nigeria to put an end to open grazing,” Oyawoye said.

A resource person at the workshop, Mr Michael Akinruli, highlighted the importance of proper pasture production for animal nutrition, noting that inadequate feed leads to low conception rates, reduced milk yield and poor beef production. He also emphasised the need to improve livestock genetics to enhance productivity.

Participants at the workshop, in their contributions, expressed optimism that the initiative would significantly improve livestock production and reduce conflicts between herders and farmers across the country.

One of the highlights of the programme was a field trip to Gatayaki Farms, where participants were exposed to practical demonstrations on pasture establishment.

The workshop forms part of the Kwara State Government’s broader strategy to modernise livestock practices, strengthen food security and promote peaceful coexistence between crop farmers and livestock producers in the state.