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Some Nigerian Army officers have been sent to Argentina to learn the art and trade of cattle rearing. This will help the setting up of cattle ranches across the country.
Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, said the Nigerian Army would be raising up cattle ranches. According to him, almost all the divisions and all the brigades of the army would be involved in cattle rearing.
Buratai who was represented by the Chief of Army Logistics, Major General Patrick Akem, disclosed this on Tuesday at the Commissioning of Mogadishu Cantonment New Mammy Market (former Abacha Barracks), Abuja.
A PRNigeria statement quoted the Army Chief as saying that in keeping up with modern cattle rearing tradition, he sent officers of the Army to Argentina to look at how cattle were reared.
His words: “Argentina has a population of 41 million people, but it feeds about 400 million people around the world with its beef. To take it to the next level, we want to adopt a system where the cattle are not just free ranging coming from Sokoto to Port Harcourt, thereby making their meat tough to eat, the products will soon be coming from our own farms and ranches”
Army, economy and cattle rearing
Buratai said he created the Barrack Investment Initiative as platform that affords Army family members the opportunity of raising up fishing ponds, vegetable gardens, fruits, livestock, chicken and their eggs.
According to him, the intention of the Nigerian Army is to contribute to the economy and security of the nation.
He added: “We want to tell our wives that they can live beyond the salaries of their husbands. We are trying to empower the women in the barracks to be able to form co-operatives, so as to access loans and to a large extent be able to fend for themselves and their families, even without the salaries of their husbands”.