JUBA-South Sudan’s government has unveiled plans to regulate livestock grazing to reduce conflict between farmers and herders.
Speaking during a panel discussion on food systems in Juba on Thursday, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Onyoti Adigo said his ministry will introduce a zero-graze policy after securing funds to reduce conflict between pastoralists and farmers.
“The little thing that is causing insecurity is community conflict. And the community conflict is caused by my ministry that is livestock! Livestock is a problem,” said Onyoti.
Onyoti believed that regulating livestock grazing will transform the sector.
“But how do we solve it? We have a mechanism of how to deal with it. If there is funding. We are thinking a lot to transform this livestock to become more commercialized,” he said.
He noted that creating a zero-grazing zone would minimize cattle migration that would cause conflict between herders and farmers.
“So, when it becomes more commercialized, then we will be able to create a zero-grazing zone. Where there is no movement of cattle in the country,” he explained.
He revealed his ministry’s plans to transform dairy production since there is a huge potential of large- and small-scale milk processing to boost export to the market.
“We will be able to produce either beef or milk, which is not there now,” he lamented.
He hinted that instead of keeping cattle for prestige and dowry, which is of no beneficial use, it’s time to commercialize livestock for economic development in the Republic of South Sudan.
“We need to have commercial livestock that is viable economically. The same thing with fish,”
“If this fish, which is eaten here in Juba, goes to Europe or the Middle East. I think South Sudan will be one of the best countries with the production of fish. Because we have the best fish (organic).”
The annual migration of pastoralists across South Sudan has traditionally created tension between cattle herders and local farmers as they battle for access to scarce resources during the dry season.
For more than two decades, pastoralists from the Jonglei region have migrated with their cattle to parts of the Equatoria region.
Tension between farmers and herders has increased since the livestock grazed on farmlands.
Herders were accused by the locals in the Equatoria region of raping, killing, and stealing cattle from native people.
The recent patterns, armed youths from Eastern Equatoria State and Pibor seized 11,000 cows at Aru Junction in Magwi County, killed 35 cattle herders from Jonglei.
The cattle grazed on farmland, which heightens tension between farmers and herders.
The locals in the Equatoria region accused herders of committing crimes such as killing, raping, and stealing cattle from indigenous people.
However, recent trends showed 35 cattle herders from Jonglei were killed and 11,000 cows were raided by armed youth from Eastern Equatoria State and Pibor at Aru Junction in Magwi County.
