By Albert Futukpor
Jankpihi (N/R), Aug 15, GNA-A 100-acre grazing area has been reserved as livestock pasture at Jankpihi in the Karaga District of the Northern Region to improve access to pastoral resources for both local and transhumance herders.
The facility, which has a water point (dugout), and a transhumance camp site, is also to minimize conflicts associated with competition over grazing resources in the area.
Similar agropastoral infrastructure (100-acre grazing area, a water point, and a transhumance camp site) has also been provided at Takaligu, also in the Karaga District for the benefit of the livestock sector in the area.
They were provided as part of the Project to Support Livestock Mobility for Better Access to Resources and Markets in West Africa (PAMOBARMA) which is being implemented by the Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) in partnership with Acting for Life, a French NGO, with funding from the European Union, French Agency for Development and Air France.
Mr Lukman Yussif, Director of Changing Lives Innovative Partnerships, an affiliate of GDCA, and Coordinator of PAMOBARMA, who spoke during the joint inauguration of the facilities at Jankpihi, said competition over grazing areas mostly resulted in conflicts between herders and indigenous communities hence the provision of the facilities to address the situation.
Mr Yussif said the communities hosted a lot of herders, especially during the dry season adding “The PAMOBARMA project works to strengthen the socio-economic development in these areas and to enhance access to livestock mobility and to support the livestock value chain. We do all these in collaboration with the District Assemblies so that they can harness the potential in the livestock sector.”
He added that “We have been supporting in providing this agropastoral infrastructure to limit the competition between herders and indigenous communities over these resources. We know that the interaction between herders and communities has mostly been a source of conflict. There were instances where we recorded fatal conflicts even in the Karaga District. We do not want this to repeat in other parts of the district.”
Mr Iddrisu Mohammed Saani, District Chief Executive for Karaga lauded the initiative saying “This edifice is dear to us. It has a lot of potential in terms of revenue mobilisation. In the past, how to get people with these cattle to take something from them as in revenue, was difficult. With these facilities, it is easy for us to know the number of cattle around, which will help in revenue mobilisation.” He urged the various stakeholders to take care of the facilities to serve their needs better.
Chief Jankpihi expressed gratitude to GDCA and partners for the facilities saying it would help to promote cordial relationship between the people and herders whilst boosting livestock business in the area.
Meanwhile, Management Committees comprising indigenes and herders have been formed in the two communities to co-manage the facilities in a way that they would all benefit from them.
GNA