Fodder banks to solve Fulani cattle clashes

The perennial clashes between nomadic Fulani herdsmen and crop farmers in the Kintampo North Municipality are to be reduced with the establishment of fodder banks.

The attendant deaths and casualties as a result of the perennial clashes, would therefore soon be a thing of the past.

This will lead to economic benefits as a result of developing tamed-rotational grazing parks and fodder banks in the Municipality for the cattle farmers as pertains in Canada.

Municipal Chief Executive, Michael Sarkodie Baffoe, and Member of Parliament (MP), Kwasi Etu-Bonde, of Kintampo North who have teamed up to the address the perennial problem, were invited by Alberta, Canada State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to learn some lessons on how best Alberta has managed their cattle rearing situation.

The trip was facilitated by the NDC MP for Kintampo North, Etu-Bonde who came in contact with Alberta Innovation and Smart Agriculture Mission in Ghana Parliament in November, 2017.

Over the years, there have been reprisal attacks leading to the deaths as a result of violent clashes between Nomadic Fulani herdsmen and crop farmers in the Kintampo North Municipality of Brong-Ahafo Region.

A good number of cattle belonging to the herdsmen have also been killed in the clashes.

Recounting their experience from Alberta, the two said they met with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Alberta, who facilitated the meeting with some key cattle ranches, Universities who research into that area, as well as key industry players within the cattle industry to learn at first-hand best practices on how to deal with the situation.

They noted that what they have learnt during the trip to Alberta, would be implemented in the Municipality, with a view to bringing permanent closure to the perennial problem between cattle farmers and crop farmers.

They are of the view that when well implemented, the success story could be replicated in some parts of the country which have the same challenges.

They said as part of the project, there is the need to concurrently explore a potential like ranching as a more permanent solution to the volatile situation, which is practiced mostly in the North American continent to regulate the activities of cattle farmers as against crop farmers.

The visit exposed them to the realization that there were feed lots, where they have confined the animals to graze, which is a solution to solving the clashes between the two groups.

They also learnt about traceability systems that link cattle to their owners, feeding lots and their daily activities and health status to quickly identify and address diseases, and so as to avoid unwholesome dairy and beef products from getting unto the market.