KACRAN Raises Alarm Over Livestock Exodus, Warns of Food Security Crisis

KACRAN Raises Alarm Over Livestock Exodus, Warns of Food Security Crisis

….Association urges Northern governors to halt export of breeding stock, tackle cattle rustling

By: Michael Mike

The Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has raised the alarm over the growing movement of livestock from Nigeria to other African countries, warning that the trend could threaten food security, livestock production, employment and national economic growth.

The association said trailers loaded daily with cattle, rams and sheep were leaving major livestock markets in the North for Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo, raising concerns about the country’s capacity to sustain domestic meat supply and replenish its livestock population.

In a statement signed by its National President, Hon. Khalil Mohd Bello, KACRAN called on Northern governors, traditional rulers, local government chairmen, security agencies and other stakeholders to urgently intervene to prevent what it described as a mass exodus of the country’s livestock resources.

The association identified Potiskum in Yobe State, alongside Damaturu, Maiduguri, Ngalda and Gombe, as major markets from which livestock were reportedly being transported to the neighbouring African countries.

According to Bello, information available to the association indicates that about five trailers of sheep and rams leave the small ruminants market in Potiskum daily for foreign destinations.

While acknowledging that livestock trading across national borders was a legitimate commercial activity, KACRAN argued that greater efforts should be made to retain more of the trade within Nigeria, particularly by encouraging livestock dealers to supply markets in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Asaba and other parts of Southern Nigeria.

The association said such a strategy would help retain economic value within the country at a time when insecurity and diplomatic challenges had reportedly reduced livestock supplies from neighbouring Niger Republic, Chad and Cameroon.

It also expressed concern that the reported movement of livestock abroad, coupled with cattle rustling, insecurity and inadequate grazing facilities, could further weaken Nigeria’s domestic livestock production capacity.

KACRAN traced the situation to years of insecurity, inadequate water points, dwindling access to grazing reserves and what it described as the neglect of pastoralism by some state governments in Northern Nigeria.

It said cattle rustling and attacks by bandits and other criminal groups across the North-West, North-East and North-Central regions had resulted in the loss of millions of livestock, worsening the difficulties faced by pastoralists.

The association warned that continued depletion of the national herd could undermine efforts to improve domestic meat and milk production, create jobs and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported livestock products.

It further cautioned that rising livestock prices could make it increasingly difficult for households to purchase rams for Eid-el-Kabir and other religious and social celebrations.

According to the statement, ram prices currently range from N300,000 to N1 million, depending on size, while a ram costing N100,000 may no longer be adequate for some naming ceremonies.

KACRAN warned that the situation could worsen before the next Eid-el-Kabir if urgent measures were not taken to improve local livestock production and stabilise supplies.

However, the association’s estimates of livestock movements, historical herd depletion and market prices were not independently verified in the statement.

To address the situation, KACRAN urged Northern governors and other relevant authorities to impose an immediate embargo on the export of female animals and young breeding stock, arguing that protecting breeding capacity was essential to rebuilding the country’s livestock population.

It also called for the identification of major livestock exporters and the provision of soft loans to enable them to expand their businesses while redirecting more supplies to domestic markets, particularly in Southern Nigeria.

The association urged state governments to reclaim and rehabilitate grazing reserves and cattle routes, provide adequate animal feed and water points, and strengthen security to end cattle rustling and banditry.

It further advocated the multiplication of livestock through improved breeds and the provision of affordable credit to livestock traders, farmers and prospective investors in livestock and fisheries production.

KACRAN also called for financial and institutional support for businesses operating across the livestock value chain, saying investment in the sector could protect livelihoods, generate employment for young people, conserve foreign exchange and contribute to economic growth.

The association maintained that livestock development should be treated as a national economic priority rather than solely as a pastoral concern.

It urged Northern political leaders, traditional institutions, business operators and security agencies to coordinate their efforts to address the challenges confronting pastoralists and livestock producers.

KACRAN said urgent action was necessary to protect Nigeria’s livestock resources, strengthen domestic production and ensure that the sector continued to contribute to food security, job creation and national development.

KACRAN Raises Alarm Over Livestock Exodus, Warns of Food Security Crisis