Agriculture
Kaduna Farmers Harvest 724,000 Metric Tons Of Ginger
Farmers in Kaduna State have harvested a total of 723,971.56 metric tons of Ginger in the 2017 cropping season, a check by The Tide source reveals.
Our source reports that Ginger is being produced in Kachia, Jemaa, Zangon Kataf, Zonkwa, Kagarako, Jaba, Kaura, Kajuru, Sanga, and Lere Local Government Areas of the state.
Ginger is used largely for industrial and private consumption across the globe.
Mr Reuben Sonkob, Deputy Director, Monitoring and Evaluation at the State Agricultural Development Agency (KADA) said in Kaduna that the figure was realised in spite of the challenges farmers faced during the season.
“Our records for 2017 showed that Ginger farmers harvested 723,971.56 tons of the crop in 2017 in spite of various challenges the farmers faced in the course of cultivating the crop,” Sonkob said.
The state Chairman, Ginger Farmers Association, Mr Nuhu Najira, said apart from the 9,560 members of the association, other farmers were also engaged in the production of the commodity.
He however said that lack of credit facility and poor financing from government and the private sector had limited the scope of cultivation of ginger in the state.
According to him, commercial banks are not willing to lend to farmers at single digit interest rate while the Federal Government Anchor Borrowers program had not approved the more than 5,000 applications it received from ginger farmers during the season.
“Commercial banks are asking for 28 per cent interest rate for farmers to access credit facility from them.
“We had negotiated to reach up to 12 per cent interest but the banks declined and insisted on 28 per cent,” the chairman said.
He also identified lack of modern inputs and facilities to accelerate farming such as quality seeds, tractors, fertilizer and chemicals from the state government as other impediments limiting ginger cultivation in the state.
Najira added: “The last time we received these inputs was in 2014 and since then, we go through all the processes individually and as an association, but to no avail.
“Again, after production we face another set of challenges of poor pricing and so much interference by middlemen.
“This has led to the fall in the prices of the commodity both at local and the international market.
“In 2017, the prices of the commodity dropped to as low as N8, 000 from N17, 000 per bag in the local market and similar drop was recorded in the international markets.
“This happened at a time when farmers spent as much as between N900, 000 and N1.2 million as cost of production per hectare.”
The chairman also noted that the farmers require modern storage facilities for their produce to maintain quality so as to attract good price at the international market.
He explained that local storage of the commodity had resulted in losses to farmers due to exposure to different kinds of contaminations which reduced the quality and standard required for export.
However, Mr Francis Danfulle, Deputy Director, Agric Extension Services at KADA, explained that ginger farmers did not access funding support through the Anchor Borrower Programme due to the refusal of farmers that benefited from the facility to pay back loans granted them in 2016.
According to him, more than 30, 000 farmers applied for Anchor Borrowers credit facility when it was introduced in 2016 and 11, 000 of them cultivating other crops were unable to pay back the loan granted them.
He explained that it was a revolving loan, which would only be granted to those in need when previous beneficiaries paid up.
On access to fertiliser, Danfulle said the state government only facilitated the supply of the commodity by private companies who sale at government approved price of N5, 500 per bag.
He said that the same policy applied to other farming inputs.
The official stressed that in spite of the hitches, Kaduna state remains the highest producer of ginger in the country.
The deputy director said with the support of extension workers, farmers now harvest 20 tonnes per hectare, but said the ginger farmers still need to adhere strictly to international rules of drying and storage in order to reap maximum benefit.
“Most farmers prefer to manage their crops by themselves, instead of following the guidelines from the extension service workers,” he noted.
Ginger is being grown in the southern part of Kaduna state for domestic use for ages while commercial production began around 1927.
Available records showed that by 1966 Nigeria had become the second largest world exporter of ginger after China.
However, exports fell due to the Nigerian civil war, unattractive prices and poor support from government, and since then Nigeria’s production was overtaken by India and China.
NAN gathered that out of the figure being cultivated in the country, 10 per cent is reported to be locally consumed as fresh ginger while 90 per cent is dried primarily for export.
Nigeria is the third largest exporter of ginger in the world after China and India, and the Nigerian ginger is well known and on high demand across the globe.
A large percentage of the commodity is exported to China, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, France, United States of America, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Chad, Sudan and Ghana, among others.
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
The Niger State Government has mapped out 10,000 hectares of farmland in Gbapo Community of Katcha Local Government Area of the State for smallholder farmers to benefit from the state government’s agricultural intervention programme.
Two thousand out of the 10,000 holders of the farmlands have already received inputs.
At a flag-off ceremony in Yinti Village, the facilitator of the programme, Shinkafan Nupe, Malam Idris Usman Makanta, assured the farmers of increased distributions to the mapped-out ten thousand (10,000) farmlands if farmers respond positively.
He explained that the commencement of the two thousand is to measure the positive response of farmers before obtaining full-scale support.
Malam Makanta stated that this initiative aligns with the farmers’ initial commitment through Niger Foods, whose mission is primarily geared towards establishing efficient and profitable agricultural businesses to support the present administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s quest to boost agricultural productivity in the state.
He also commended Niger Foods for their steadfastness and resilience in the effective implementation of the input financing scheme.
Makanta reiterated the commitment of the State Governor in making judicious use of the arable land in the state.
Shinkafan Nupe, therefore, urged the farmers to support the Governor by using the inputs wisely so that the dream can be actualised.
The Gombe State Government has empowered a total of 573,429 farmers and entrepreneurs under the 4th phase of the GO-CARES programme.
The programme was officially flagged off by Governor Inuwa Yahaya in another major step towards alleviating poverty and supporting the state’s vulnerable populations.
The Governor, while inaugurating the disbursement in Akko Community of Akko Local Government Area, restated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens in the state.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee on GO- CARES implementation.
“The 4th phase of GO-CARES will directly and indirectly impact a total of 573,429 citizens across the state. Of these, 152,429 individuals will benefit directly through cash transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural inputs, and operational grants to small businesses”, he stated.
The Governor added that, “421,000 people will be indirect beneficiaries through infrastructural projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, WASH services, and rural infrastructure projects like culverts and drainages”.
Yahaya, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the state’s most vulnerable citizens are not left behind in the state’s development.
According to him, “Earlier this year, on June 25, 2024, we flagged off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to less privileged farmers in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, signaling the commencement of the 4th phase implementation of GO-CARES under Result Area 2”.
The Governor reiterated that these initiatives have had a significant impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries and the overall agricultural sector.
He explained that, “Today’s ceremony marked the simultaneous launch of activities under all three GO-CARES Result Areas for the 4th phase. These areas include: State Cash Transfer Grants: 2,500 direct beneficiaries; Labour Intensive Public Works: 2,700 direct beneficiaries; Livelihood Grants: 10,000 direct beneficiaries; and Basic Services: 405,000 indirect beneficiaries”.
