5,000 Kaduna ginger farmers get FG inputs

At least 5,000 ginger farmers across seven local government areas of Kaduna State have been presented with the Federal Government’s free agricultural inputs.

The support, through the National Agricultural Development Fund, was part of efforts to rejuvenate ginger farming after the devastating effect of the blight disease suffered in 2023.

The seven beneficiary local government areas are Kachia, Zango-Kataf, Kaura, Kagarko, Jema’a, Jabba and Sanga.

The According reports that the NADF’s Executive Secretary,  Mohammed Ibrahim, had said the Federal Government, through the fund, was providing support in the form of inputs valued at N1.6bn to ginger farmers in three states and Abuja.

Ibrahim had said that the input support was under the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment initiative.

He disclosed this at the launch of the Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce Support Initiative, supported by the Office of the Vice President in March 2024.

He had said 15,000 ginger farmers from Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, and the FCT were affected by the recent ginger blight epidemic in the country.

The NADF’s boss, Muhammad Abu Ibrahim, at the flag-off ceremony held in Kachia town, in Kachia LGA of the Kaduna State on Tuesday, said the intervention was the first phase of the input distribution programme of the NADF under the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment.

He said the GRATE programme was designed to provide free agricultural inputs as a form of support to smallholder ginger farmers by the Federal Government.

“The NADF will further support the crop production process by providing monitoring and evaluation services, good agronomic practices and market linkages for the farmers while also developing programmes to strengthen and develop the entire ginger value chain,” he added.

Meanwhile, at the event, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, said his administration remained resolute in the provision of support to smallholder farmers as a strategy against poverty and boost the economic fortunes of our people.

The governor, who was represented by his  Deputy,  Dr Hadiza Balarabe, said, “The state government remains resolute to continue to provide support to smallholder farmers as a strategy against poverty and boost the economic fortunes of our people.”