Labana Farms settle pastoralists for peaceful co-existence with farmers

Kebbi-based Labana Farms Limited has assisted a pastoralists' community to settle down with its over 20,000 cattles, as part of its efforts to promote peaceful co-existence with farmers and improved economic fortune of the people. The Chairman of the farms, Alhaji Abubakar Abbah- Aliero, made this known in an interview with journalists after a facility tour of the farm in Bagudo Local Government Area, on Saturday. He said that since the establishment of the farm in 2015, the Fulani community based in the area have settled down, rearing their over 20,000 cattle with the grasses and farm residues after harvest, for four months of the dry season on the 10,000 hectares of the farm.

Abbah- Aliero said they have stopped straying far for feeds, which has resulted in peaceful co-existence between the pastoralists and farmers in the community. He further revealed that the farming community in the area had also been provided with farming inputs and allowed to use part of the prepared land. This is in addition to their own lands for production of rice twice a year which Labana Rice Mills buys for at prevailing market price. He explained that, although the idea behind the establishment of farm was to serve as a source of raw materials for the Labana Rice Mills, the support being given to the community had contributed to peace and the economic development of the people.

Abbah-Aleiro also revealed that the farm had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a proposal for partnership with the Government of Benin Republic for large-scale rice production in the neighbouring country. The proposal is being considered by a joint committee of Labana Rice Mills and Government of Benin for submission to the Federal Government of Nigeria for endorsement. The chairman said he is optimistic that the federal government will gladly endorse it in view of its envisaged socio-economic impact it will have on the country's economy.