Ginger Disease Outbreak: FG Floats N1.6bn Recovery Package for Farmers

James Emejo in Abuja

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, yesterday said the federal government through the National Agriculture Development Fund (NADFund) would on Wednesday in Kaduna State, unveil a N1.6 billion recovery package for farmers whose livelihoods were affected by the recent ginger disease outbreak.

 The minister said the ginger blight epidemic was a grave challenge that struck a vital artery of the country’s agricultural sector.

Speaking while inaugurating the Ginger Blight Epidermic Control Taskforce in Abuja, kyari said the devastating fungal disease had inflicted significant damage on ginger farms in Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau and FCT, particularly in Southern Kaduna – a region synonymous with Nigerian ginger production.

He noted that Nigerian ginger truly unrivaled globally because of its taste and pungency, adding that the unique quality had long been cherished locally and worldwide.

He said the international market’s demand for the commodity had surged driven by its increasing popularity for its health and culinary benefits.

However, he said the multifaceted task force comprising of four committees was established earlier January in response to the ginger blight crisis, and “serve as the cornerstone of our response going forward, bringing together the expertise of researchers, extension agents, and most importantly, our dedicated farmers”.

They included committees on technical and research; emergency and recovery; capacity and productivity as well as marketing and industry – each with clearcut responsibilities to deal with the crisis at hand.

The minister further disclosed that the blight had 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.

He said, preliminary estimates suggested that affected farmers in Southern Kaduna lost over N12 billion, highlighting the significant financial blow from the outbreak.

Kyari pointed out that considering that over 85 per cent of the country’s ginger cultivation occurs in the region, “we can safely assume a substantial loss of cultivated land, potentially exceeding 70 per cent.”

The NADFund will be officially launched at a groundbreaking state level ceremony in Kaduna on Wednesday, according to the minister.

He said with a market value expected to reach $6.29 billion by 2030 from $4.16 billion in 2023, Nigerian ginger presents a phenomenal opportunity for economic growth.

In September 2023, the federal government promised support following an outbreak of ginger disease which had ravaged several communities, leading to loss of livelihoods to farmers in Kaduna State and its environs.

The state accounts for 80 per cent of the ginger grown in the country and the commodity is referred as the mainstay of the state’s economy.

About 95 per cent of the entire ginger grown last year was been wiped out following the epidemic which was first noticed in August and characterised by the sudden yellowing and drying of ginger leaves, thereby resulting in the rotting of its rhizome in the soil.

An assessment conducted by the Institute of Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, identified the disease as a fungal infection, which is both air and soil borne. Although, fungicides were recommended for fumigation of the affected farms, the solution came rather too late, the farmers claimed.