President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday that the dairy farming scheme being proposed by the Kingdom of Denmark and the Kaduna State Government would go a long way in reducing clashes between herdsmen and farmers which has left scores of people dead.

Buhari’s statement came while he received the outgoing Ambassador of Denmark, Mr Torben Gettermann at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The President was quoted as saying by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, that once dairy farming was made economically viable, herdsmen would see the reason to remain in one place, thus curbing the incessant bloody clashes with farmers.

“The establishment of dairy farms, as being promoted by the Kingdom of Denmark, will save the country from almost perennial problem of clashes between herders and farmers, made worse by population explosion.

“When the dairy farms are economically viable, the herders will see the need to stay in one place, as they will realize that productive considerations, rather than the number of heads of cattle, are more important,” he said.

The outgoing Danish Ambassador Gettermann was quoted as telling the president that the concept of dairy farms was to have 1,000 families of herdsmen with 12,000 heads of cattle in a location, where they would have veterinary attention, schools for their children, and generally live as a small community.

Gettermann added that the Danish dairy giant, Arla would then buy the milk off the cattle farmers, stating that the concept was not the same as ranching.

The envoy said the Danish government would bring investors through its agriculture counsellor in the country, while the Kaduna State Government would fund the initial infrastructural scheme.