Metro

We’ll export ‘special grass’ to Saudi to feed their cows, Audu Ogbeh says

Published

8 years ago

July 27, 2016

Minister Ogbeh rubbishes Buhari's spokesman, says there'll be no famine in Nigeria

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh has said that Nigeria will soon be exporting special grass to Saudi Arabia.

Ogbeh, said this in Abuja on Wednesday, during an interactive session with newsmen, adding that the ministry will begin the growing of the special grasses for cattle in August.

He posited that the ministry had started bringing the special seed into the county and would soon begin exportation of the grass to countries like Saudi Arabia.

“The Saudi Arabia is asking that if Nigeria can grow enough grass, they will buy to feed their cows,” Ogbeh said.

According to him, the special grass will also provide the panacea for the Fulani herdsmen and farmers incessant clash in the country.

He said, “The clash between farmers and herdsmen has been getting worse by the years and by the grace of God, I will bring it to an end.

“No farmer in the world would like to plant his crops and arrive to see that cows have eaten everything up.”

The Minister had informed Nigerians in March that, as part of government efforts to boost quality of livestock and curtail herdsmen/farmers clash, grasses had been imported from Brazil by the Federal Government.

“We are producing massive hectares of grass lots for the consumption of cattle; we have received these grasses from Brazil and we are growing them in massive quantities,” he said.

Speaking earlier in the week, ogbeh had cautioned that the challenge of hunger confronting the populace might persist till 2018 when government hopes to attain self-sufficiency in food production.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

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