News in Brief:
– Nigeria’s NADF program offers free farming inputs to 5,000 Kaduna ginger farmers impacted by the 2023 blight.
– It aims to strengthen Nigeria’s position as a major ginger producer and solidify Kaduna’s leading role within the national ginger industry.
In a move to solidify Nigeria’s position as a major ginger producer, the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has announced a program to support 5,000 ginger farmers in Kaduna State with free farming inputs.
This move targets the state, which is a leading ginger-producing region within Nigeria, with the aim of bolstering its role in the national ginger industry.
Effectively, the programme, valued at ₦1.6 billion, is part of the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment (GRATE) program. It was launched in March 2024 with the support of the Office of the Vice President. GRATE aims to assist ginger farmers across three states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Meantime, the initiative has commenced with a stakeholder engagement and screening process for ginger farmers in seven Kaduna Local Government Areas (LGAs) —Kachia, Jaba, Kagarko, Zangon-Kataf, Kaura, Jema’a, and Sanga— heavily affected by the blight.
Following the screening process, each participating farmer will receive a package of vital farming inputs, including:
- Four bags (50kg each) of NPK 20.10.10 fertilizer
- Two bags (50kg each) of Urea fertilizer
- One bag (25kg) of maize and sorghum hybrid seeds
- Per-hectare dosage of herbicides and crop protection products (fungicide and insecticide) for crop rotation
Bolstering the ginger value chain
David Jonathan, representing the Kaduna Agricultural Development Agency (KADA), welcomed the initiative. He highlighted its potential to strengthen the ginger value chain. He also stated that it had the capacity to improve the livelihoods of ginger producers in the state. KADA is partnering with NADF in this program.
Furthermore, the National Ginger Farmers Association President, Nuhu Dauda, expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his intervention in supporting farmers affected by the blight. He noted the significance of the intervention in rejuvenating the industry.
Broadly, Nigeria’s ginger production is estimated at 31 million metric tons (MT), while demand is put at 65 million MT, creating a deficit. Yet, the country’s revenue from ginger exports is on the rice with an increment of 17% recorded in the second quarter of 2023 to hit ₦10 billion.
This makes the West African country a giant in ginger production, with the ace position in Africa and top five globally. According to information available on the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) website, about 90% of ginger produced in the country is exported.
The country’s ginger is especially favoured in the international market due to its high level of oleoresin oil. Meanwhile, the Global Ginger Market is expected to reach $4.8 billion by 2027.
