The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari has called on the Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Task Force to increase their efforts in addressing the devastating disease affecting ginger crops in four states.
The blight, which has crippled the livelihoods of many farmers, has been seen as a threat to the production of ginger, which is the major cash crop in the region.
Receiving the National Ginger Seed Roadmap, Minister Kyari commended the task force, its Chairman Abubakar Abdullahi, the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), and the Nigeria Agricultural Seed Council for successfully completing its first major assignment.
The Task Force Chairman, Abubakar Abdullahi recalled that Vice President Kashim Shettima convened a meeting in December 2023 to address the epidemic, which had a severe impact on farmers in Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Abuja. He stressed the need for solutions to mitigate the effects of the disease.
The task force has implemented several strategies to address the blight, including crop rotation, shifting cultivation practices, using clean ginger seeds, promoting disease-resistant varieties, and establishing ginger multiplication centers.
Mohammed Ibrahim, the NADF Executive Secretary highlighted the agency’s efforts to support affected farmers. “We are providing relief materials to farmers and promoting crop rotation to combat the disease,” he stated.