Professor Ibrahim Sodangi, a Professor of Agronomy and Provost College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Kaduna State University (KASU) has warned that ginger export is threatened by inflation and fungi diseases in Nigeria.
Prof. Sodangi disclosed this in Kaduna on Tuesday at a one-day workshop on Empowering Ginger Farmers to be resilient, organised by Mercy Corps.
The expert explained that the method of processing ginger in the country is a problem, saying that processing ginger has not been standardised with the result that microbiological, organoleptic and chemical properties of products often falls short of importers specification.
He also maintained that in 2023, Nigeria grossed N10 billion in export but the position is threatened by fungi as Nigeria may not be able to export only 30% of ginger, he said.
In his words: “To control diseases, organic manure is good, cheap and available; however, inorganic manure is equally good but expensive.”
Sodangi further said “inflation is actually affecting us, the government desires to intervene but the willpower is not there. Government can intervene but the people given the intervention will not get it across to the actual beneficiaries and that is also a huge problem”.
He further lamented that only 15 per cent of farmers consult Government Agriculture Extension Workers on the use of the right pesticide.
“In order to reduce losses in ginger farming, farmers should use disease free seeds, embark on crop rotation between 4 to 5 years, planting on raised seedless to avoid stagnation, removing plants debris from storage, disinfecting walls and floors, application of metalaxyl, ridomil, pro plant, use of disease resistant varieties and quarantine measures”.
He called on the government to assist group formation and strengthen the actors in the ginger value chain and eradication of barriers for women participation in the ginger value chain.