The Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, Mohammed Abu Ibrahim, says the Federal Government, through the NADF, is providing support in the form of inputs valued at N1.6 billion to ginger farmers in three states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The input support is under the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment, GRATE, initiative.
Ibrahim disclosed this on Wednesday in Kaduna at the launch of Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce Support Initiative, supported by the Office of the Vice President.
According to him, 15,000 ginger farmers from Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa and the FCT were affected by the recent ginger blight epidemic in the country.
Abu explained that the National Bureau for Statistics, NBS, reported that revenue from ginger export increased by 17 per cent to hit N10 billion in Q2 of 2023 compared to N4.6 billion over the same period in 2022.
He noted that it was in response to the epidemic crisis that the task force was set up.
He said, “At the first instance, the Federal Government through the NADF is providing support valued at N1.6 billion starting out with input packs appropriately named the GRATE package, which is the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment.
“The recent ginger blight epidemic, while affecting an estimated 15,000 farmers across Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa states, and the FCT, came at a time our country had started to see considerable growth in ginger exports.”