AFRICA

Nigeria To Support Ginger Farmers In Three States With N1.6bn

Nigeria’s federal government is to support ginger farmers in three states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with input packages worth N1.6b from the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF).

The Executive Secretary of NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim disclosed this on Wednesday
at the launch of “Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce Support Initiative” in Kaduna.

Ibrahim said 15,000 ginger farmers from Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, and the FCT were affected by the recent ginger blight epidemic in the country.
He added that the input support is under the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment (GRATE).
He noted reports of the National Bureau for Statistics (NBS) indicating that revenue from ginger export increased by 17 per cent to N10bn in the second quarter of 2023 compared to N4.6bn over the same period in 2022.

The NADF Executive Secretary, explained that it was in response to the epidemic crisis that the task force was set up.
“At the first instance, the federal government, through the NADF is providing support valued at N1.6bn, starting out with 1 ha input packs appropriately named the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment (GRATE) package.

“The recent ginger blight epidemic, while affecting an estimated 15,000 farmers across Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa States, and the FCT, came at a time our country had started to see considerable growth in ginger exports”, he said.

According to him, the support package to be given to the farmers include, high-yield seed variety, NPK fertilizer, Urea fertilizer, fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and post-emergence herbicides.

Ibrahim said the team is eager to see ginger being grated in rural communities again in the immediate term.

Also in her remarks at the event, the Technical Assistant on Agriculture, Office of the Vice President, Maryam Mo, said the presidency is taking the issue of agriculture and ginger farming very seriously as part of the renewed agenda programme of the government.

She noted that many countries, including Mexico, are busy trying to grow Nigerian ginger because it is one of the best in the world and urged the farmers to increase ginger production in the country.

Also speaking, the Kaduna state governor, Senator Uba Sani who was represented by his deputy, Hadiza Balarabe, commended the federal government for supporting farmers affected by the blight epidemic.

By John Shiklam in Kaduna