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The Oyo House of Assembly, on Thursday passed the anti-open grazing bill into law in a bid to foster peace and promote agricultural business in the state.
The bill which was passed at plenary was to forestall the incessant farmers- hearders clashes being experienced in some parts of the country.
Speaker of the Aseembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin appealed to residents of the state to ignore falsehoodsand misconception being peddled about the open rearing and grazing of livestock prohibition bill, which he said are capable of triggering hostility between herders and farmers.
According to him, a public hearing was held where critical reviews and opinions of all concerned stakeholders, individuals, groups and experts were taken into consideration before the bill was passed into law.
“We assured the people that all suggestions and memoranda of understanding submitted by various groups, agencies and representatives of different communities and tribes on the open rearing and grazing regulation bill 2019 was painstakingly looked into before it was passed into law.
“I am appealing to everyone to shun the rumour being spread that the law is to make life and business unbearable for some set of people, rather it seeks to promote peace among residents and different tribes in Oyo state,” he explained.
Ogundoyin maintained that the ninth Assembly through the law was only seeking legal framework to address the issue of open rearing and grazing through the law, as well as encourage and protect the economic activities of others who are into agricultural business and the residents.
“Both herders and crop farmers are farmers, and because laws are made to correct, definitely we do not expect it to favour anyone 100 percent. I implore them to embrace developmental changes this law is bringing into the agricultural business after its enactment.
“Let us consider partnership, cluster farming, cooperative ranches and other helpful methods that are working in successful neighbouring country. If we truly desire development and growth in our agriculture, then we have to get ready and adopt new strategies to boost our produce and reduce loss of resources and lives,” he concluded.