KACRAN Asks Presidential Candidates to Incorporate Livestock Development in Programmes

By: Michael Mike

Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has called on presidential candidates of the various parties to fully incorporate livestock development in their policies and programmes.

KACRAN, in a statement on Wednesday issued by National President, Hon Khalil Bello, while congratulating all the emerged presidential candidates on the different political platforms, said there is an urgent need for the various flag bearers to fully incorporate livestock development in their policies and programmes during their campaign exercises and policy formulation as well as creating a special Ministry of Animal resources if they come to power.

Bello said: “We painfully observed that, with all the herders numerous contributions in the nation’s economic development and provision of nutritional food to Nigerians but when  it comes to policy and programme formulations, the government/people in power have sorrowfully use to ignore or completely forgot us.

“Most of the politicians with the exception of very few States are neither mindful or worried with the vital role played by livestock sector towards creating million job opportunities to our youth and people whose livelihood fully depend on pastoral occupation.”

He added that: “KACRAN noticed that, it is only through the creation of Federal Ministry of Animal Resources that herders’ problems and daily pressing needs related to water points or animal feed during the long dry period will be adequately  taken care of.

“Our final conclusion is that, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is already fully charged with numerous responsibilities that will not allow it to fully incorporate livestock development in its yearly or daily programmes which necessitates our appeal for the creation of special Ministry for Animal Resources.”

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He lamented that: “Most of the money given to the said Ministry is always spent on the development of  arable farming to the detriments of fisheries and livestock sectors.”

Bello said: “We also notice that, inclusion of livestock sector development plan or the creation of Special Ministry for Animal Resources in any politician policies and programmes will give him upper hand or added advantage against the other candidates who did not.”

He said: “KACRAN wants our dear politicians to recall that, livestock sector, is the bedrock for Northern Nigeria’s economic development and the promotion of same shall directly boost Nigeria’s GDP.”

He argued that livestock sector is the major employer of million of Nigerians either directly or  indirectly because its’ value chain has uncountable branches.

He said promoting livestock sector will minimally reduce the problems of insecurity in the country and end the farmers/herders conflicts and likewise 

stop herders from unnecessary movement to the Southern part of the country which sometimes result to several avoidable clashes with farmers of their host community as  cattle rearers are often blamed for being too reckless in the operating of their pastoral occupation.

Bello reminded the politicians that KACRAN members always cast their votes en bloc as they normally do not want to divide their votes but always vote based on the person or party they strongly believe will not work against their interest and now they have come to realize that the policy formulation and implementation on livestock is germane to their business. 

He said: “We want our politicians to note that we have million herders  who have their PVC in hand and are  ready to cast them to the candidate of their choice more especially the one who they noticed cares for their interest and general survival.”

KACRAN Asks Presidential Candidates to Incorporate Livestock Development in Programmes