The Federal Government on Monday confirmed the outbreak of ginger blight disease in four Nigerian States, which had cost farmers over N12 billion to date.
This was disclosed at the inauguration of the National Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce in Abuja, noting that fungal disease had inflicted significant damage on ginger farms in Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory, according to The Punch.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the blight had caused losses running billions of naira, impacting not only the livelihoods of farmers but also Nigeria’s position as the world’s second-largest ginger producer.
He said “Our preliminary estimates suggested that affected farmers in southern Kaduna lost over N12bn.
“Furthermore, considering that over 85 per cent of Nigeria’s ginger cultivation occurs in this region, we can safely assume a substantial loss of cultivated land, potentially exceeding 70 per cent of total land.
“The Federal Government through the National Agricultural Development Fund would launch a N1.6bn recovery package for affected farmers in ginger-producing areas.
“The ginger blight epidemic served as a stark reminder of the importance of preparedness in safeguarding agricultural resources, adding that by investing in research, extension services, and farmer support systems, “we can build a more sustainable future for our agricultural sector.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the task force committee, Abubakar Abdullahi said it is obvious that the blight on ginger had negatively affected the Gross Domestic Product earnings from this subsector.
“It is of necessity and great urgency that various subcommittees are put in place to forestall these negative effects,” he noted.
Abdullahi assured the minister of the commitment of the team to redeem the situation, as he appealed to the minister to give the committee the power to co-opt members that would add value to the task force to discharge their duties efficiently and effectively.
