Following the rampaging farmers-herdsmen crisis witnessed in some parts of the country, the federal government has proposed setting up cattle colonies for herdsmen as a way of putting an end to the deadly clashes.
However, the government seems to be using the words ‘cattle colony’ and ‘ranching’ interchangeably and this poses confusion to many Nigerians as to what exactly the federal government is proposing.
For instance, the minister of agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, said that Nigerians had misinterpreted what the government meant by colonies.
Ogbeh said that colonies are the same as ranches and that the only difference is in size.
His words: “When we spoke of colonies, we were immediately greeted with reactions that this was an attempt to cease Nigeria’s land and give to the Fulanis to colonise. The intention is not for Fulanis or anyone to colonise any territory. Colonies and ranches are the same thing in many ways, except that a colony is bigger than a ranch.
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“In colonies, 20, 30 ranchers can share the same colony. A ranch is usually owned by an individual or company with few numbers of cows. In a cattle colony you could find 100, 200, 300 cows owned by different individuals."
So, is cattle colony the same as ranching? Find out in this fact check by NAIJ.com:
Facts about ranch
1. A ranch is a large farm devoted chiefly to raising and breeding cattle, horses, sheep, and goats.
2. Ranching is the practice of raising herds of animals on large tracts of land.
3. The cattle ranch was introduced from Latin America to Texas and the plains of the United States and Canada
3. The first ranchers owned cattle, ponies, and camp equipment but no land, grazing their stock on the free public range.
4. The term 'ranch' is also used in the United States for grain and fruit farms.
From the above, ranching is the practice of raising animals on large piece of land. A ranch could be simply described as an area of land, including various structures, for raising horses, beef cattle, or sheep.
Fact about cattle colony
The origin of the coinage "cattle colony" can be traced to Pakistan.
According to Wikipedia: “Cattle colony is one of the neighbourhoods of Bin Qasim Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. This neighbourhood of Karachi is the centre of cattle and meat trade in Karachi. The cattle colony is the dairy products shopping and supply centre of Karachi. There are also many abattoirs and meat warehouses located in the cattle colony.”
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From the above, one can deduce that:
1. Cattle colony is entirely a Pakistani idea for its local cattle and beef market economy.
2. There is only one cattle colony and it is located in the neighbourhood of Bin Qasim Town in Karachi, Pakistan.
3. Cattle colony, in Pakistani sense, is essentially devoted to the sale of cattle and beef products, it is like a shopping complex where cattle and meat trade are carried out.
4. Cattle colony is not one of the modern methods for raising cattle or other livestock; it is an innovation for efficient cattle sales along with its beef products.
Fact check: Conclusion
Ranch is a large area of land acquired for raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for the production of meat the proposed. Ranching remains the modern and most widely used method of raising cattle.
Cattle colony is a Pakistani term for a geographical place where cattle and meat trade are carried out. Globally, there is only one cattle colony and it exists only in the neighbourhood of Bin Qasim Town in Karachi.
A ranch is not the same as cattle colony.
However, if the federal government wants to conceptualise and domesticate the ‘cattle colony’ as an initiative to address the farmers-herdsmen in the country, the government should clarify this and come up with the details of how it intends to actualise it.
An earlier piece by NAIJ.com provides four basic facts about the cattle colony proposed by the federal government.
The cattle colonies, according to the federal government, will be bigger than ranches and will be able to accommodate up to 30 ranchers. The cattle colony, the government says, will be able to accommodate between 100 and 300 cows owned by different individuals.
What should the federal govt do to tackle the herdsmen attacks in the country? - on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Wednesday, 24 January 2018