23 hours ago
17 ARTICLE AD
Ginger farmers across Nigeria have called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the ongoing crisis threatening the country’s once-thriving ginger industry.
The farmers, through their National Youth Representative, Youth in Agribusiness, Jerry Tobi, appealed to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, to take decisive action to prevent a total collapse of the sector.
In a statement on Thursday, Tobi, who represents over 100,000 ginger farmers, lamented that Nigeria’s ginger industry i
He said the ginger business in Nigeria is on the brink of collapse due to rampant fungal infections, lack of access to disease-resistant seed varieties, and soaring production costs.
He acknowledged the N6bn facility disbursed in 2024 by the President through the National Agricultural Development Fund to support the sector but insisted that this intervention alone is not enough to address the deep-rooted challenges facing Nigeria’s ginger farmers.
According to him, ginger farming has become nearly impossible due to widespread outbreaks of Ginger Blight, including rhizome rot and bacterial wilt, which have devastated yields across the country. He explained that over 100,000 ginger farmers are affected, with many losing their entire investments.
He further stated that the skyrocketing cost of production has made Nigeria’s ginger uncompetitive in the global market.
He said while the global cost of production is around $2,000 to $3,000 per metric ton, Nigerian farmers struggle with costs exceeding $10,000 per metric ton.
He noted that the price of ginger seeds has escalated beyond reach, as farmers are forced to pay over N300,000 per bag, and since a hectare requires up to 30 bags, it has become impossible for them to plant.
Tobi warned that Nigeria is rapidly losing its market share to countries like India and China, which are now expanding into Nigeria’s traditional export destinations.
He also linked the decline in ginger farming to rising youth unemployment, which he said is fueling insecurity in rural areas.
He explained that with ginger farming becoming unprofitable, many young farmers in affected regions are facing economic despair. This, he said, has led to an increase in rural-urban migration and, worse still, youth unemployment, which fuels insecurity and banditry.
Painting a grim picture of Nigeria’s economic losses due to the crisis, he stated that the country previously produced an estimated 523,000 metric tons of ginger annually, valued at $1.3bn in the global market.
However, production losses due to disease and high costs have led to a staggering decline.
He explained that farmers have lost over 90 per cent of their expected yields, which means Nigeria has lost an estimated 313,800 metric tons of ginger in one year.
“At an average price of $2,500 per ton, this translates to a loss of $784.5m, approximately N1.2tn annually.
“He added that the monthly loss stands at about $65.4m, approximately N103bn, while the daily loss is estimated at $2.1m, approximately N3.3bn,” he said.
He further stated that 100,000 farmers are losing between N10m and N15m annually per farm, amounting to a total loss of N1tn for farmers alone.
He warned that if the government fails to act, Nigeria risks total exclusion from the international ginger market, which will further worsen the country’s foreign exchange crisis.
He urged the government to take urgent and practical steps to salvage the ginger sector.
As part of his recommendations, he called for the establishment of a National Ginger Seed Bank, where the government would purchase healthy ginger seeds from local farmers, multiply them, and redistribute them at subsidized rates to ensure affordability.
He also advocated for the creation of input clusters with subsidized packages, where farmers would be provided with essential inputs such as fungicides, fertilizers, and irrigation systems to curb disease spread and boost production.
He stressed the need for investment in research and development, calling on the government to partner with and fund agricultural research institutions to develop local solutions for ginger disease control.
He also proposed the establishment of a dedicated Ginger Research and Development Institute to drive innovation in disease management and seed multiplication.
Tobi called for the establishment of an emergency intervention fund for ginger farmers, suggesting a minimum N20bn revolving loan under the Bank of Agriculture or NADF to provide financial relief to affected farmers.
He emphasized that this fund should be easily accessible, with low interest rates and transparent disbursement to real farmers.
He urged the government to facilitate the importation of disease-resistant ginger seed varieties to enable farmers to rebuild their farms.
He further suggested that Nigeria should restrict ginger exports for the next two years, allowing only ten per cent of current export levels, to increase seed availability and stabilize local production.
He reassured the government of the farmers’ willingness to collaborate in implementing these solutions. He insisted that the farmers are not asking for handouts but are calling for urgent and strategic action to protect an industry that has the potential to generate over $5bn annually for Nigeria.
