Brent crude: $ 86.47 | WTI crude: $ 81.90 Govt supports ginger farmers with N1.6b recovery package
• Farmers lose N12b to ginger blight epidemic • Crisis threatens Nigeria’s market leadership position I& E window:
Abuja
HE federal government through the National Agriculture Development Fund ( NADFUND) has provided N1.6 billion as a recovery package to farmers affected by the ginger blight epidemic ravaging farms across the country.
The intervention comes on the heels of investigations sho w ing that ginger farmers lost an estimated N12 billion as a result of a fungal
Tdisease that damaged ginger farms in Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau states and the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT).
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, while speaking at the inauguration of the Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce, in Abuja, yesterday, stated the N12 billion estimated loss is from Ginger farmers in Southern Kaduna alone where more than 85 percent of cultivation occurs.
He lamented that the blight has caused billions of naira in losses, impacting not only the livelihoods of countless hardworking farmers but also Nigeria's position as the world's second- largest ginger producer.
The minister who was represented by the Minister of State, Sabi Abdullah I, pointed out that with a market value that is expected to reach $ 6.29 billion by 2030, up from $ 4.16 billion in 2023, Nigerian ginger presents a phenomenal opportunity for the economy. He revealed that over 70 per cent of the arable land in Southern Kaduna has been lost to the pandemic hence the need for intervention to enable the farmers to plant other crops pending the time a sustainable solution to the pandemic is found.
He noted that In response to the ginger blight crisis, a multifaceted task force comprising four committees was established in January, saying the Technical and Research Committee would be dedicated to understanding the disease and developing control measures to mitigate future re- occurrences.
He stressed that the Emergency and Recover y Committee would focus on supporting farmers impacted by the failed season through needs assessments and transparent relief distribution while the Capacity and Productivity Committee would empower farmers for a stronger future by providing training, quality seeds and best practices to combat the crisis.