On Friday of last week, I traveled to Ogun state to see one of my big brother around Sango. I was going to see him for financial aid, and when I arrived at his house, I noticed that he was preparing to go out. We exchange greetings, and he says I arrived at the right moment because he is heading to Ado-Odo, also in Ogun State, to buy a cow for his employer, who is preparing to do his grandma's final funeral. I've always wanted to go cow shopping, and now my dream is becoming a reality.
Sango and Ado-Odo, Ota, are not too far from one another, so we set out on our adventure there, in less than 30 minutes we are already at Ado-Odo Ota... My uncle has been there many times; he even claimed to have bought the cow that was used to celebrate my grandfather's birthday in 2019 there.
Above is a picture of the first cow we priced. The vendor refused to accept less than 400, 000 naira, which, at the current rate of exchange between the dollar and the naira, is about equal to $597 that's around 2739 STEEM. I had no idea that cows could be that pricey. What!
We then proceeded to price another cow after my uncle stated that his boss's budget is roughly one-third of the suggested amount. Maybe we'll get fortunate enough to find one that fits our budget. The next one we saw was only 80,000 naira less expensive than the previous one. In other terms, the cost was 320,000, which is equal to $477 around 2182 STEEM. The image of the second cow we priced is shown below;
The subsequent one's cost was still much higher than the necessary budget and did not differ materially from the previous two. It became more clear that we are in no way comparable to any of the sellable cows in Ado-Odo town. My uncle quickly called his boss to let him know what was happening, but he said he couldn't go past 150,000 naira which is around 992 STEEM currently. During the discussion, a man came up and told us that we could buy a cow for that price, but that we should check the Fulani merchant at Igbesa, another town nearby Ado-Odo. We decided to check the town because it is on the way back to Sango from Ado-Odo town. We arrived in Igbesa, Ogun State in less than 25 minutes.
Contrary to what we witnessed at Ado-Odo town, the cows are not on exhibit this time. The merchant led us several miles into the bush, where a Fulani herder was tasked with watching over his herd of cattle as they were being pastured. The first cow was brought forward, and a price of 270,000 naira (roughly $391) around 1788 STEEM was given. My uncle who also understand the Fulani language was discussing with the merchant about the price.. below is the picture of the first cow brought by the Fulani merchant.
Our budget is still exceeded. Then my uncle calmly made the merchant aware of our intended spending limit, after a series of discussion in their language, two different cows were brought to our view, each of which were being sold for the same amount of 100,000 naira (about $144) around 658 STEEM It now completely matches our spending limit. After the agreed-upon sum was transferred to the merchant's bank account, a truck was hired to pick up the cow and take her to the agreed-upon location.
Why the menace of Fulani herders has persisted in Nigeria?
The violent death of civilians and destruction of crops and fields by their cattle have made Fulani herders notorious throughout the nation. Many people have been discouraged from farming as a result of the constant killings and property damage, and many of them have looked into alternative sources of income. In essence, this means that the Fulani herdsmen are partly to blame for the nation's present high food prices.
The reason why the threat has not yet been eliminated still remain a mystery, despite the herders' obvious criminal behavior. Well, the answer is the profitability of the cow-rearing business. I'll explain this.
A cow is a member of the ruminant group of mammals. Their main source of food is grass, and Nigeria is fortunate to have a wide variety of vegetation, including grasses. In other words, farmers that raise cows rarely have to worry about what to feed their animals. All they have to do is find a trustworthy herder who will occasionally take them for grazing.
A cow grows to its full size in only about 24 months, though this can occasionally vary depending on the breed. The female cow is now prepared for breeding and to give birth to calves. Like in humans, there is a 9-month gestation period. Additionally, when given the correct care, female cows can give birth to calves annually. This indicates that a herd might be established in less than ten years with just a male and female cow. In Nigeria, where open grazing is permitted and also comes at a low cost there is no need to worry about providing feed for cows.
In other words, cow rearing is a highly lucrative business that the wealthy and powerful individuals in the nation are dabbling in. They employ these so-called Fulani herders to tend to their herds and graze them, giving them only a weekly or monthly stipend depending on the agreement. These herdsmen are very skilled to the point where they even work as veterinarians. They diagnose ailments, recommend a medication to be purchased, and give the medication, including any injections.
The herdsmen are always courageous to commit their atrocities in the community since they are supported by wealthy and powerful people. They invade farms, allow their cows to graze on crops, and devastate the soil while threatening to murder the farm's owner if he ever acts out. In order to defend themselves, they are frequently armed with gun and other ammunition.
In all of these, Nigeria's craving for cow meat is growing daily. The business is so lucrative that if you invest, there's a big chance of making a big amount of money in the next 3 years, you don't need to buy water or food, there are numerous grass for the cow to feed on, you only need to pay the so called herdsmen some little amount of money. Can we all now see why Nigeria will always be tormented by herdsmen?
https://www.how-to-raise-livestock.com/long-take-cow-mature
https://www.makemoney.ng/how-to-a-start-cattle-farming-business-in-nigeria/
