By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
About 30,000 ginger farmers in Kaduna State have cried out to the state gover, to intervnment to intervene in the seasonal loss of their produce due to poor pricing and insufficient modern farm inputs.
They said ginger farming, if well harnessed, was capable of employing thousands of unemployed graduate youths because it is lucrative and highly demanding in international markets.
They stressed the need for its price to be regulated in such a way that would attract more people in the value chain – production, processing and marketing.
Addressing newsmen in Kaduna Thursday, President, Macedonia Ginger Value Chain (MAGVAC), Nuhu Daudu, commended the state government on steps so far taken at diversifying its economy to agriculture with inclusion of ginger in its valued crops, adding that if its production was increased regulated, ginger had the capacity to transform economic woes of the state to enviable standing among other states of the federation.
According to him, “Ginger is a special crop to grow and that is why we are not many in it. It is a lucrative business and highly demanding, we don’t have good market yet because there is no price regulation by state government. Indians are the only people coming to pack our ginger at a take away price, reprocessed and repackaged for a good foreign exchange.
“Ginger is used in medicine, brewery and other things, that is why the government need to come in considering the revenue it can generate. With over 20 years of experience, there is no better time for the state government to bring its expertise to fore in collaboration with other stakeholders.
“We can do more with the state government by collaborating in reviving the ginger factory at Kachia, thereby providing jobs opportunities for our teeming youths.
“It may interest you to know that in Kaduna, we produce 500,000 metric tons of ginger annually. If the farming process is followed, one hectare of land can produce 400 bags of fresh 50kg of ginger. That is great and we can even do more when government is fully involved.
“It is on record that ginger produced in Kaduna State has been rated the best in the world market, however poorly priced due to our collective neglects in our production and processing methods are denying us full destination,” he added.
If that was achieved, MAGVIC believed the State would be on the ginger world map as the international community would be attracted to do more business with it and its teaming ginger farmers would stand competitors like China and Thailand in the international market.
