Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, will begin the paddock development (growing of special grasses for cattle) in August.

The Ministry has started bringing the special seeds of grass (fodder seeds) into the country.

Its Minister Audu Ogbeh, who made this known, said after some time, the country would become an exporter of the grass to earn foreign exchange.

Ogbeh said the Saudi Arabia was asking that if Nigeria could grow enough grass they would buy to feed their cows.

He assured that with the paddock development, the clash between farmers and herdsmen in the country would be put to an end, saying the clash between farmers and herdsmen has been getting worse by the years.

According to him, no farmer will allow his crops to be eaten by cattle, saying no farmer in the world would like to plant his crops and arrive to see that cows have eaten everything up.

Ogbeh noted that the problem had persisted because over the years, successive governments had not done enough to check the problem, saying most of the conflicts were been perpetuated by Fulanis from some West African countries like Senegal, Mauritania, Mali among others.

He cited an instance where some of the herdsmen arrested could not speak any of the Nigerian languages, saying there was a need for the country to end the herdsmen roaming with cattle even it was a culture.

In his word, one culture cannot become a source of conflict in the nation, saying there are 415 gazing reserves spread across the country, with Adamawa accounting for 73, adding that some are gazetted while some are not.

Ogbeh said many of them have been encroached upon, saying that the FCT was one of the routes, serving cattle going to the South East and South South from the North West through Benue.

He said after the development of ranches, it would be an offence for any herdsmen to allow his cattle to roam the streets, saying land had been allocated to government in some states that would be used for ranches for herdsmen to acquire for their cattle.

The Minister said cattle produce more litres of milk when they were kept in one place than when they walk about in search of food, saying the ministry was collaborating with the Ministry of Interior to provide security at the ranches to check activities of cattle rustlers.