Expert proffer solution to herdsmen menace
Speaking with Security Monitor over the weekend, Adesola who was reacting to reports of clashes between herdsmen and farmers across the country agreed that it is a great challenge that needs urgent and cogent steps to tackle.
In her words, “There is hardly any crop farmer across the country that has not at one time or the other have issues with herdsmen and their cows. A full year’s sweat is wasted within a few minutes and there is hardly any nobody you can turn to for redress.
“This is why we have been researching on crops and plants that irritate livestock. The research took us months and diligent study and today I can tell you that we have found a handful of them. There are some plants that livestock’s don’t eat and there are some plants that livestock dare not go close to them.”
According to her, the first plant livestock dare not get close is called Jathropha. “Jathropa is good as fencing around the farm; Cattle’s don’t eat jathropha because they know it’s toxic.
“The second one is Senna Alata which is called Asunwon in Yoruba language. Cattle don’t eat the leaves too and the stems are interwoven like scrubs when planted close to each other.
“The most deadly of all is Castor plant. Cattle will not even smell the leaves not to talk of tasting it. The fourth one is called ‘yellow bush’ ornament and is mostly use for designs and all it has an interwoven stems that livestock cannot pass through. Egunsi bara is also another good one,” she said.
Adesola further disclosed that apart from protecting crops from the rampaging herdsmen these plants also have some economic value which could also benefit the farmer.
About Author
