The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has flagged off the distribution of agricultural inputs to 5000 Ginger farmers in seven local government areas of Kaduna state.
The farmers were said to have suffered huge losses during the ginger blight disease in 2023.
Speaking at the event which held on Tuesday in Kachia, headquarters of Kachia LGA, Mohammed Ibrahim, Executive Secretary of NADF, said the intervention is the first phase of distribution of inputs by NADF under the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment (GRATE).
He added that GRATE is a programme designed to provide agricultural inputs for small holder farmers.
Ibrahim said, the programme will enable the affected farmers to practice crop rotation on their farms while also supporting them towards improved livelihoods from the economic losses incurred.
He said, “The NADF will further support the crop production process by providing monitoring and evaluation services, good agronomic practices(GAP) and market linkages for farmers while also developing programs to strengthen and develop the entire Ginger value chain.”
In his remarks at the occasion, Governor Uba Sani who was represented by Hadiza Balarabe, his deputy, said, the state government remains committed to supporting small-holder farmers as a strategy against poverty and boost the economic fortunes of the people.
Sani commended the federal government for supporting the state government. He promised to continue to work closely with the federal government and other key stakeholders for the benefit of the state.
“We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the federal government and the NADF for their support to our smallholder ginger farmers and for standing in solidarity with Kaduna state during this challenging period.
“We acknowledge and appreciate the swift intervention being implemented particularly the establishment of the National Ginger Blight Epidemic Taskforce to comprehensively address the issues arising from the huge loses suffered by our Ginger farmers”, the governor said.
The first phase of the intervention will provide inputs which include maize and Sorghum Seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals and crop protection products to 5000 registered and validated smallholder Ginger farmers from Kachia, Zango-Kataf, Kaura, Kagarko, Jema’a, Jabba and Sanga LGAs.
By John Shiklam in Kaduna
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