Ondo State Government has said it will not give land to herders.

It, however, said it will key into the National Livestock Transformation Plan of the Federal Government to ensure that clashes between farmers and herders are stopped.

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who hosted a delegation of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) yesterday, said the national livestock agenda did not include conceding land to herders.

He said the programme had a lot of public misconceptions, urging FAO to make inputs into it.

Akeredolu advised FAO to bring its expertise and technical know-how to bear on livestock farming by introducing modern techniques of herding cattle so that the livestock value chains would be enhanced.

According to him, “the National Livestock Transformation Programme (NLTP), a number of our people don’t even know what it is all about. People see it as an attempt to give land to herders. Long before now, I have said we are ready in terms of having areas where the animals can graze.

“In the Southwest, we are going through a lot, especially in terms of insecurity. We do not expect FAO to handle insecurity for us, but if there is a programme or anything you can do to help us in solving this farmers-herders conflict.

“It is becoming too destructive, especially when it comes to your major area which is agriculture. In Ondo State, we are into animal husbandry and fish farming because we have the longest coastline in the country. And we do a lot of fishing. We are also into cash crops, which we have been known for long before now. Our farmers are now afraid to go to farm because they can be kidnapped.

“We will ensure that there is grass and other ways of feeding these livestock. What we need to do is to encourage haulage, not by bringing the cows by road.”

The Country Representative of FAO, Mr. Fred Kafeero, said the global body would continue to help within its core mandate to support the state and its farmers to ensure food security.