The Ghana National Association of Cattle Farmers (GNACAF) says the solution to the incessant crop farmers and herdsmen clash is the demarcation of cattle routes and grazing reserves.
Imam Hanafi Sonde, National Chairman of GNACAF said government must demarcate cattle routes and grazing reserves to provide a lasting solution to these two farming groups.
Iman Sonde was speaking at a press conference to express the Association’s view on the recent clashes between the herdsman, crop farmers and the residents of Agogo and its environs, in Accra.
He said the conflict between these two farming groups was a serious threat to human and food security of the country and therefore, the association thinks it requires the maximum attention of government and concerned stakeholders to solve the problem once and for all.
He said the creation of grazing reserves would ensure dedicated areas for cattle and prevent the destruction of farm crops.
He condemned the shoot-to-kill approach adopted by the security operatives tasked to deal with the herdsmen menace and suggested that the state could take custody of straying cattle of disobedient members.
He said the killing of cattle was not the solution because the cattle are being controlled by the herdsmen.
The National Chairman also suggested that personnel involved in the exercise should apprehend the cattle and subsequently prosecute the herdsmen, adding that, “In a situation where cattle owners refuse to come forward, the cattle can become state property.”
“We cannot continue losing lives in this nation,” he said.
He said even though the association did not support those herdsmen, who defied the court order to move out of the area, he was not sure that the court’s directive indicated that the cattle should be shot.
He said the Executive and the entire membership condemns in no uncertain terms the attacks on the security personnel at Agogo and called for investigations into the incident to uncover the culprits to face the law.
Iman Sonde said recently, government through the Ministries of Agriculture and National Security, initiated the Ghana Cattle Ranching Project Committee of which he was a member, to find out a holistic solution to the problem between the herdsmen and the crop farmers and also enhance the development of the sector.
He said the Cattle sector has contributed significantly to the economy of the country but the image of the sector continues to be tarnished with conflicts.
On the court order, he said the Association had accepted the ruling and had visited the area to inform its members to comply with the order by moving their animals out.
Source: GNA
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These Fulani herdsmen are nomadic people from the Sahara.Ghana is not Sahara they should go back NOW
Buy or Lease lands for your own ranches and feed them with proper feed if you want to go into cattle rearing.
What route and what reserve? It is very nau-seating to hear things like this, You people should revise your ancient nomadic method of cattle rearing.This has no place in contemporary world. The questing is, Who rears hen without hen coup? or sheep without sheep pen? The answer is if you want to rear cattle, go and buy your own land, create your ranch, divide your ranch into portions, create boreholes to supply you with water and grow your grass on the portions created and rotate your cattle from portion to portion. You can irrigate your grass to have all year round grass, and harvest the excess of grass for use during dry season. You can come together as groups for the land acquisition and leave our poor farmers to till their land in peace. If you are a businessman you put money in your investment, for you to earn returns. Cattle owners want maximum returns without thinking of how to invest and modernize the way they do business. We are si-ck and tired of these people
This is annoying! Is that how we real cattle in the world TODAY? Is this what they do in Argentina, USA, Canada etc? Let the Fulanis understand that crop farmer do NOT have their crops destroyed by their cattle!
It makes me sick everyday when I hear some of these things. What we have are farmlands not Grazing Reserves! Get that into your skull cap and stop this rantings about Animals Right and Cattle Welfare. Did you ever think about Human lives in the past? SHITHOLE MENTALITY !!!!
It seem to me that Imam Sonde is only interested in the well being of the cattle's but not the residence, lives have been lost now and in the past and you are talking about demarcations. It is not going to happen. You had the chance to move but you refused, now that the tables have turn you are complaining. Assuming other tribes from Ghana coming to your country or town to disturb your lively hood and your culture. What do you think will be the fate of that person or group of people? You should be lucky some of us are not from that area, like you and your entire head of cattle will leave in just a day.
These cattle farmers will never respect the demarcations.