By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
The President, National Ginger Association of Nigeria (NGAN), Mr Gagarin Madaki, has lamented that in spite of NIgeria’s product being rated one of the best in the world, it are rejected internationally.
He also lamented that the post- harvest handling is poor, stressing that there should be a shift from ginger being bought per bag to per kilogramme, in order to enhance value to the farmer and for the country to generate more revenue.
He stated, “The farmer is cheated, the buyer is cheated. The sharp practice has to stop.”
Speaking in Kaduna shortly after his inauguration as the new president of the association, Mr Madaki stressed, “The group needs to adopt a new strategy that will hit the ground running towards ensuring that Nigeria’s comparative advantage in ginger production receives a boost by way of producing and exporting quality produce leveraging on the international best practices.”
According to him, members would hit the ground running by encouraging they start producing based on international best practices, which if not adhered to, is making their products to be rejected at international markets.
He stated that they have issues of poor post-harvesting handling, use of inorganic chemicals, among others, adding that there is need to improve the yields the farmers get and move from conventional weighing per bag to per kilogramme, because a lot of sharp practices happen both ways – between farmers and buyers.
He believes that if the important measures are put in place, the product would attract a lot of investors and keep others in the value chain comfortable thereby, improving the standard of living of the farmer and also increase revenue generation of the country.
Mr. Madaki stressed that he is the first and only indigene that has used the dry port in the last five years to export ginger, saying that the problem is not from the dry port, but the congestion at the other end.
The President also said the process there is very smooth and encouraged people to use it, assuring that it is a one-stop for Customs, payment, among others.
He emphasized, “Ginger is the fourth largest priced commodity in Nigeria, which makes it a good foreign exchange earner. It is used in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical drugs and during COVID-19, ginger value got skyrocketed by about 500 per cent because people know the impact it has on colds, cough and all that.”
In attendance at the occasion, was the Kaduna State Ministry of Agriculture, Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), Kaduna State Ministry of Technology and Innovation, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) among other stakeholders.
Other officers elected through the same process (affirmation) include, Isaac Kure (Deputy President), Emmanuel Nehemiah (National General Secretary), Mrs. Elizabeth Bukar (National Vice President-North East), Tekaa Luga (National Vice President, North-Central), Amaechi Ikerinyimba (National Vice President North-East) and Richard Isokari (National Vice President, South-South).
Others that were elected are, Alhaji Adamu Makarfi (National Vice President, North-West), Stephen Dzever(National Legal Adviser), Juliana Tanko(Treasurer), Moses Bonat(National Organizing Secretary), Kenneth Suwa(Financial Secretary), Peter Waziri(National Auditor), Kuzayat Baba(National Publicity Secretary), Joshua Kwasu Nok(Assistant National Publicity Secretary) and Ishaya Mary (Assistant Secretary General).
