Govt approves ranching, rejects open grazing

The Plateau State Government Friday approved a bill for the establishment of the Plateau State National Livestock Transformation but rejected open grazing in the state.

The government also approved the commencement of ranching in two local government areas of the state.

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The State Executive Council, at its weekly meeting, approved the transmission of the bill to the Plateau State House of Assembly for consideration.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the commissioner for information and communication, Dan Manjang, said the bill was to facilitate a smooth transition from open grazing to ranching.

Manjang said the state had been working assiduously to put in place, all requirements for the take-off of the model ranching programme at the Wase and Kanam reserves, which are wholly owned by the state government.

He assured that once the programme takes off and alternatives are provided, people will no longer be allowed to move around with livestock in the state. He added that local and international investors had shown interest in putting their money in the pilot phase of the livestock transformation programme.

The secretary of the State Livestock Implementation Committee, Professor John Wade, said nobody’s land would be appropriated for ranching.