Dalhatu Mohammed is a Farm Manager, Beef Research Programme at the National Animal Production Research Institute, NAPRI/ABU Shika-Zaria with 20 years working experience. He addresses fears that cattle farmers entertain about ranching and how to go into it and be successful. He also explained why it will be difficult to get Fulani herders to ranch and suggested ways to get their buy-in, all in this interview with Dateline Nigeria.
Dateline: There seems to be a growing consensus among Nigerians that the future of cattle rearing in the country lies in ranching. This feeling is reinforced by the problems arising from movement of cows from one place to another in search of food. Do you think ranching is the best way to go?
Dalhatu Mohammed: Ranching is the practice of raising grazing livestock and crops in an acquired land to support family welfare and venture out livestock operation. For example, provision of meat and milk for consumption, supplementation of materials such as leather and wool for clothing, furniture, etc.
Even though there may be constraints from lack of land allocation to farmers, lack of technical know-how among the varying stakeholders, and not all Fulani herders can go for ranching due to their population looking it from their culture of nomadism.
Dateline: Given the socio-cultural significance of herding cattle for long distances in search of pasture, especially among the Fulani, do you think ranching can be easily acceptable?
Ranching amongst the Fulanis cannot be easily acceptable as they are laggards. On this, there is need for extension personnel from government and the private sector to acquaint them with the ideology of ranching, starting with a few number of cows to cater for their needs.
Dateline: Do you mean they cannot succeed starting with a huge number?
Fulani herders cannot succeed in starting ranching with a large number of cattle for the following reasons:
Firstly, is the issue of management. Management refers to routine practice or operation put in place to judiciously manage to accomplish an end objective.
So, you can see here we are talking of provision of holding pens, treatment, feeds and feeding, stores that include feed store and hay van, equipment needed for ranching and the technical know-how, etc. All these will be too much a burden to the Fulani herders.
Secondly, is the issue of capital. There is a need for establishing paddocks, paying security personnel, buying of feeds, ingredients and so on, that need huge amount of money
And thirdly, there is the issue of interaction. Fulani herders are villagers to the extent that it will not be easy for them to socially interact with customers.
So, it will be a successful plan for them to start with a meaningful number of bulls.
Dateline: How long will it take government and private individuals to convince to get them to ranch, given that there seems to be an urgency for a solution to the rising cases of herder-farmer clashes?
It will not take government long to convince them. Government can allocate land to them, it can give out loan with subsidized interest rate and can also organize training programmers and seminars for awareness. It can build outreach centres for them so that they can go and see resource persons who will advise them on day to day running of their ranches.
They deserve all these from government as they are citizens of the country like other citizens in cities and rural areas..
Dateline: What are the benefits that can be derived from ranching that are not obtainable in nomadic pastoralism
Among the benefits of ranching, a farmer may go for milk production or to make yoghurt after milking raw milk. Fattening trial. Keeping male cows (bulls) under confinement (zero grazing) to enable the bulls attain market weight within a short period of 60-90 days, to sell to hotels, restaurants and to sell during festivities.
Dateline: What do you consider as the ideal starting point for any pastoralist going into ranching?
Starting point for a viable ranching is to obtain land, store, source of water, security and to source for the customers.
Dateline: What challenges can be there for a beginner and how can they be surmounted?
Source of good water, market and preservation (cold room).
Dateline: Are there specific cattle breeds that are most suitable for ranching?
We have as many as 10 indigenous breeds of cattle in Nigeria, but for beef production, I recommend two for a start, Azawak and White Fulani breeds. For milk production, there is need to cross Sokoto Gudali (Bokoloji) breed or White Fulani (Bunaji) breed with exotic Friesian breed. That is purposely for milk production, to upgrade your source of milk production, or you come to NAPRI and purchase the crossbreed of Friesian cow, for a start.
Dateline: Often the issue of sourcing for feed all year round is raised as the major constraint that any pastoralist intent on settling in one area is likely going to face. What arrangement can intending ranchers make to meet the feeding needs of their herd without moving them to places?
He should use feedstuffs available in his area. Cows require concentrate diet and roughages. A farmer can use maize offal (bran), wheat offal as energy source and for protein source to his animals, he can use cotton seed cake, etc. Roughages like crop residues, rice straw, hay, silage or legumes can be used.
Dateline: What number of cows is ideal for starting a viable ranch?
It depends on the resources that farmer has. But for a start, at least, 5 to 10 bulls for fattening trial. And one to two Friesian cross cows for milk production.
Dateline: Can owners of small number of cows ranch if they must acquire land and equipment?
Yes, they do. And those that don’t obtain land should group themselves as one entity. They can come together and form a venture, as there are numerous individuals who run a backyard farming (business) and they produce yoghurt and chicken and cow meat for sell. Example of them are: Jamil Yoghurt and San Yoghurt. And they are seriously making progress with their ventures.
Dateline: What types businesses can be grown around ranches?
Poultry farming (poultry and ornamental birds).
Dateline: Even after ranches have been established, there will still be the problem of cattle rustling. How is this challenge tackled in other countries and how can we make sure that cattle thieves do not put cattle owners out of business?
Other countries have tackled cattle rustling by introduction of microchips technology which they insert into the animals subcutaneously. They also place CCTV cameras at selected locations on the farm.
They tackled rustling by introducing substantive method of identification of their animals peculiar to and different from other farms.
Dateline: Should government have a role in encouraging and supporting cattle farmers to ranch? What specific role do you think will be most appropriate for government?
Government can intervene in the area of funding and provision of security outposts closer to ranches. It should also implement Grazing Reserves Act and penalize whosoever violates it.
Dateline: What are the chances that ranching can grow our cattle industry for export and international market?
The skin of the Red Sokoto Goat is the most expensive in the world.
Government needs to refocus its intention and attention to and on the viability of cattle ranching.
