Nigerian Government Reveal Ginger Farmers Suffer N12 Billion Loss From Fungal Disease

Nigerian Government Reveal Ginger Farmers Suffer N12 Billion Loss From Fungal Disease

The Nigerian federal government has revealed that the outbreak of the ginger blight disease in four states across the country has led to a staggering loss of over N12 billion for farmers……READ ALSO Northern Senators’ Forum Urges Nigerian Government To End Abductions

Speaking at the inauguration of the National Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce in Abuja, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, highlighted the significant damage inflicted by the fungal disease on ginger farms in Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory.

Abdullahi emphasized the devastating impact of the blight, which has not only caused billions of naira in losses but has also affected farmers’ livelihoods and Nigeria’s standing as the world’s second-largest ginger producer.

He stated, “Our preliminary estimates suggested that affected farmers in southern Kaduna lost over N12 billion. Furthermore, considering that over 85 per cent of Nigeria’s ginger occurs in this region, we can safely assume a substantial loss of cultivated land, potentially exceeding 70 per cent of total land.”

In response to the crisis, Abdullahi announced that the Federal Government would launch a N1.6 billion recovery package for affected farmers in ginger-producing areas through the National Agricultural Development Fund.

Acknowledging the urgency of the situation, he emphasized the need to establish various subcommittees to address the negative effects of the ginger blight epidemic effectively.