Cattle breeders under the auspices of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and farmers on the platform of Southwest Commodity Farmers Organization have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote peaceful coexistence between both parties in the zone.
The two parties signed the peace accord during a day summit held in Ibadan.
According to the coordinator of the South West farmers organisation, Olusegun Dasaolu, the MOU symbolizes an agreement between the herders and farmers to unite to improve food production and ensure sustainability within the South-West and Nigeria, at large.
Dasaolu added that understanding also tasked both parties to identify genuine herders and farmers and find lasting solutions to challenges confronting them in the region.
Dasaolu said: “What the memorandum of understanding with cattle breeders translates to is that the farmers in the Southwest and the herders have agreed to work together for the unity of farmers and the progress of agriculture so that conflicts will be resolved amicably.
“And from this moment, the first step we are going to take is to identify the genuine herders in Southwest and who are the genuine farmers, and we have agreed to connect better.
“This is going to go a long way in solving the food crisis in the sense that farmers will now feel secure to go back to their farms and so agricultural production will increase and this is going assist greatly in the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.”
Speaking, the National Chairman of Miyetti Allah, Othman Ngelzarma said the event was an opportunity to chart a way forward in ensuring the security of both farmers and herders in the region.
He held that with farmers and herders in the Southwest united, they would collaborate effectively to identify and address any problematic elements within the pastoralist communities in the region.
On her part, the Southwest Director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Abimbola Akeredolu, advocated for the continued deployment of technological solutions in agriculture to support farmers and enhance food production.
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