Assessment of the Effects of Herdsmen-Farmers Conflict in Uzouwani L.g.a of Enugu State, Nigeria.

Abstract
This study titled ASSESSEMENT of the effects of herdsmen-farmers conflict in Uzouwani L.G.A of Enugu State, Nigeria’’ has its aim to assess the effects of herdsmenfarmers conflict between the herdsmen and farmers in the study area, find out the
effect of the conflict on the livelihood of rural household in the study area; and
identify factors that constrained the avoidance of the conflict in the study area. Four
households were selected from each of the 25 communities in Uzo-Uwani
constituting a total of 100 respondents. A well-structured questionnaire which has
four sections containing questions relevant to the research was used as instrument
for data collection, the research instrument (questionnaire) was subjected to both
face and content validity through the help of the research supervisor and other
academic experts in the department of Agricultural extension and management,
Enugu State Polytechnic Iwollo. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive
statistics such as frequency count and percentage mean for testing the respondents
were farmers. The result of the analysis shows the mean of the causes of conflicts as
indicated by the respondent in the study area is damaged to crops by cattle,
Unaccepted grazing of herders on farmland without permission, Destruction of
irrigation equipment by herders themselves. This implies that when the crop of
farmers is damaged, they will react and it will land to conflict because farmers major
source of income are the crops produced and when damaged by cattle either by
trampling or grazing on them, the farmers livelihood and survival is threatened and
could lead to aggression and eventually conflict. Others include Destruction of
farmland, Non-Compliance with laid down rules, pilferage from the farmers farm,
burning of rangeland that also affect farms, Herders claiming the land as common
property. The study also revealed some negative impacts of herdsmen-farmers
conflict as breakdown of law and order in the communities, decrease in farm output.
Outbreak of hunger and diseases, abandonment of crops in the field. Farm
destruction, psychological trauma, Farmer’s displacement, Loss of lives and
injuries to people among others. The study recommends that anti-open grazing law
be enacted by the Enugu State Government, Herdsmen should be encouraged to
adopt a viable and intensive system of grazing (ranching) in order to cope with the
rapid demographic pressure on the Grass fields of Uzo-Uwani Local Government
area, Herdsmen should also embark on fodder production and hay production to
feed the cattle in terms of scarcity during the dry season amongst others.