The Jigawa state Farmers and Herdsmen Board says it has paid N860,000 as compensation to 28 farmers whose crops were destroyed by encroaching cattle in Kirikasamma Local Government Area of the state.
The Executive Secretary of the board, Dr Rabi’u Miko, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Dutse.
Miko said that 19 farmers received N360,000 as compensation in Marma village while nine farmers in Iwo and Madaci villages received N500,000.
NAN recalled that the board had in November impounded 18 cattle for encroaching and destroying several farmlands in Iwo, Marma and Madaci villages in Kirikasamma.
According to him, the animals were sold at the cost of N1.16 million at Gumel Livestock and Breeding Centre, in Gumel Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the money used to compensate the affected farmers based on an order given by the mobile court set up by the state government to handle such cases.
He added that the action was one of the new measures taken by the board to discourage farm encroachment by herdsmen.
“Henceforth, any animal found encroaching farmland and destroying farm produce in the state will be impounded and be kept under our custody.
“If the owner comes then we have our mobile court; but if nobody claims ownership of the impounded cattle, then we sell them and compensate the affected farmers,” he said.
According to him, the board has dispatched a team to the scene to assess the extent of damage done by the animals to farm land in the local government.
He added that the animals were sold in the presence of the local government’s farmers/herdsmen committee and village heads of the affected community among others.