Ginger farmers seek intervention for seedlings, security

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Ginger farmers in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are uncertain about the 2025 planting season, due to a lack of seedlings and other determining factors.

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The farmers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that there was a need for urgent intervention by the government and relevant stakeholders to address the situation.

NAN reports that ginger farmers had in 2023, suffered losses from a “fungal disease”, which led to a significant drop in production and supply of the crop since then.

The federal government had estimated the loss to be over N12 billion in 2024.

Philip Akuso, a ginger farmer in Bwari, said the chance of the crop yielding a good harvest was 50-50.

Mr Akuso said many farmers could not get quality seedlings because of the devastating disease from the previous farming season.

He said that had affected harvest and significantly increased the price of ginger in the market, due to low supply.

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According to him, since the 2023 incident, there has been ginger scarcity in the market and the price has continued to skyrocket.

“As of December 2024, a bag of ginger was sold for N350,000, but earlier this year, its price ranged between N650,000 and N800,000 at some point, but it has come down to about N700,000 now,” he said.

Mr Akuso also said that the situation was worrisome to farmers in Bwari, who not only lack access to good seedlings but also face funds and insecurity challenges.

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He said while some farmers were able to get supplies from the neighbouring producing areas like Kachia and Jaba areas of Southern Kaduna, others could not afford to and were yet to recover from the previous losses.

“If you ask me, I will say only the rich can venture into ginger production presently, because it involves a huge capital, especially having to purchase good seedlings.

“Farmers in neighbouring Kaduna State were successful with the production last year and so, have stored some bags for sale and also have good seedlings for the next farming season.

“Very few of us in Bwari were successful with our production last year and are willing to try again, but others are afraid to try because they lost so much and have not recovered from the effect of the fungal attacks on the crop.

“However, we are hopeful that we will have a good yield at the end of the year,” the farmer said.

Mr Akuso urged the government to hasten the research on a lasting solution that would salvage the situation.

Similarly, Somo Yakubu, another farmer in Bwari, said he was lucky to save two bags from the previous year’s harvest, with the hope to use them for the upcoming planting season.

Mr Yakubu said that most farmers in Kawu-Bwari where he resided, were also lucky with their 2024 harvest, because the disease did not attack the crops early, until they were almost ready for harvesting.

“There was no remedy of any sort; it was just the grace of God, it is a necessary risk to take, who knows, we might get lucky again this year,” he said.

Mr Yakubu, however, said that the insecurity was another factor that might not allow most farmers to return to the farms for fear of being kidnapped.

He appealed to relevant stakeholders to address the situation.

Phoebe Albert, a consumer, who also produces hibiscus flower drink, commonly called ‘zobo’, decried the high cost of ginger in the market.

Mrs Albert said she recently bought ginger worth N1,000 and was only given four small pieces.

“You cannot even get ginger of N500 now, the sellers might just give you one piece for that amount.

“It is that bad, especially now that a lot of people have come to realise the benefits of ginger in organic foods, herbs and as spices too.

“It is not enough for us local consumers yet, and we are still selling across borders and exporting to other countries.

“If it has that much economic value, then it should be the government’s priority to tackle the situation through urgent action,” she said. (NAN)