‘Livestock Farming Can Save Our Forests’

With the fight against
deforestation and desert encroachment posing a great challenge to the country’s agricultural revolution under the present governments Transformation Agenda, TA, an expert has called for Livestock farming to check the trend.
Speaking with our Correspondent over the Weekend, in Port Harcourt a forestry expert, Mr. Frederick Nwokocha said increase in live stock farming was capable of checking the menace of deforestation.
He said the over dependence of the rural populace on the forests for their livelihood in search of game (hunting) snails, fishing and other aquatic activities has made it necessary for the preservation of the forests.
The retired Director in the State Ministry of Agriculture said the people who use the forest for their livelihood should be given the opportunity by the authorities to decide and be involved in their needs in respect to the resources of the forests.
Mr. Nwokocha advocated for a system of “participatory appraisal” where the people were given the chance to come up with what their needs were in order to check indiscriminate felling of trees.
He said when the rural farmers were allowed to engage in substainable enterprise in live stock farming, the forests would be saved.
He further stated that the farmers themselves on the long run would realize the merits of preserving the forests even as he said they would also protect the forests from intruders.
He said policing of the various forests in the State were not adequate and advocated for the return of forest guards to stem the tide against indiscriminate tree felling.
He expressed doubt about the ability of the present forest guards number in policing the forests, adding that the 23 local government areas of the state needed at least two forest guards each.
He further explained that it was the inadequate number of forest guards that has increased the activities of unscrupulous people in the industry.