The Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Mohammed Abu Ibrahim, announced that the Federal Government, through NADF, is providing a support package valued at N1.6 billion to ginger farmers in three states, including the Federal Capital Territory.
This input support falls under the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment (GRATE) package.
He made this disclosure at the launch of the Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce support Initiative, supported by the Office of the Vice President, held in Kaduna on Wednesday.
Ibrahim stated that approximately 15,000 ginger farmers from Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory were affected by the recent ginger blight epidemic in the country.
This crisis occurred as Nigeria was experiencing significant growth in ginger exports.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), revenue from ginger export increased by 17% to reach N10 billion in Q2 of 2023, compared to N4.6 billion over the same period in 2022.
The establishment of the task force was a direct response to the epidemic crisis.
“The Federal Government, through NADF, is providing support valued at N1.6 billion, starting with 1-hectare input packs aptly named the GRATE package, which stands for Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment,” Ibrahim stated.
The support package to be provided to the farmers includes 1 bag of high-yield seed variety (20kg), 4 bags of NPK fertilizer (50kg each), 2 bags of urea (50kg each), 2 bags of fungicide (1kg each), 1 liter of insecticide, 2 liters of herbicide, and 2 liters of post-emergence herbicide.
The team is eager to witness ginger cultivation thriving again in rural communities in the immediate term.
In her remarks, Marion Moon, Technical Assistant on Agriculture in the Office of the Vice President, emphasized the government’s commitment to agriculture and ginger farming as part of its renewed agenda program.
She highlighted the global demand for Nigerian ginger and urged farmers to increase production.
Governor Uba Sani, represented by his Deputy, Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, commended the federal government for its support to affected farmers in the state, describing state ginger as one of the best globally and urging farmers to remain dedicated to their farming endeavors.
Ginger farmers at the event expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and NADF for coming to their rescue. They voiced optimism that their past glory would be restored in no time. #Nigeria