The Nigerian government has announced a support package worth N1.6 billion for ginger farmers in three states and Abuja.
The Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Mohammed Ibrahim, disclosed this at the launch of the Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce support Initiative in Kaduna on Wednesday.
The support falls under the GRATE package, which stands for Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment.
Mr Ibrahim said 15,000 ginger farmers from Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, and the FCT were affected by the recent ginger blight epidemic in the country, which coincided with a period of significant growth in ginger exports.
He said the National Bureau for Statistics (NBS) reported an increase in revenue from ginger exports, reaching N10 billion in Q2 of 2023, compared to N4.6 billion in the same period in 2022.
He emphasised that the task force was established in response to the epidemic crisis.
“At the first instance, the federal government through the NADF is providing support valued at N1.6 billion, starting with 1 ha input packs aptly named the GRATE package, which is the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment.
“The recent ginger blight epidemic affected an estimated 15,000 farmers across Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa States, and the FCT, occurring at a time when our country had started to experience significant growth in ginger exports,” he said.
Mr Ibrahim detailed the support package for ginger farmers, which includes 1pc 20kg bag of high-yield seed variety, 4pcs 50kg bags of NPK fertilizer, 2pcs 50kg bags of urea, 2pcs 1kg bag of fungicide, 1pc 1ltr of insecticide, 2pcs 1 litre of herbicide, and 1pc 2 litre of post-emergence herbicide.
He expressed the team’s eagerness to witness ginger being grated in rural communities again in the immediate term.
In her remarks, the Technical Assistant on Agriculture, Office of the Vice President, Marian Moon, said the presidency is addressing agriculture and ginger farming as part of the government’s renewed agenda programme.
She highlighted the global demand for Nigerian ginger, citing Mexico’s efforts to grow it due to its high quality.
She also encouraged farmers to boost ginger production in the country.
The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, represented by his deputy, Hadiza Balarabe, praised the federal government for its support for the affected farmers in the state.
He lauded the quality of the state’s ginger, describing it as one of the best in the world, and urged farmers to remain committed to their farming endeavours.
