SPOTLIGHTS
- Over 5,000 ginger farmers across seven local government areas in Kaduna State received support
- The intervention includes agricultural inputs to help farmers recover from losses caused by ginger blight
- The GRATE programme aims to improve livelihoods and strengthen the ginger value chain
- The Kaduna State Government expressed gratitude for the Federal Government’s support and highlighted its commitment to supporting smallholder farmers
- The NADF will provide monitoring, evaluation, and market linkage services to further support the farmers
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
No fewer than 5,000 smallholder farmers in Kaduna State, who suffered losses during the 2023 farming season due to the effects of ginger blight disease, received support from the federal government on Tuesday.
The support, in the form of agricultural inputs, was provided through the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) as an intervention for the affected ginger farmers across seven local government areas.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Kachia, NADF Executive Secretary, Muhammad Abu Ibrahim, explained that this intervention represents the first phase of the input distribution programme under the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment (GRATE) programme.
He added that it was designed by the Federal Government to provide agricultural inputs as a form of support to smallholder ginger farmers.
“The programme will enable the affected farmers to practise crop rotation on their farms affected by the ginger blight disease while also supporting them towards improved livelihoods from the economic losses they incurred due to the impact of the disease,” Ibrahim said.
The NADF boss further stated: “The NADF will further support the crop production process by providing monitoring and evaluation services, Good Agronomic Practices (GAP), and market linkages for the farmers while also developing programmes to strengthen and develop the entire ginger value chain.”
While flagging off the distribution exercise, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, represented by Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, said: “The State Government remains resolute in its commitment to continue to provide support to smallholder farmers as a strategy against poverty and to boost the economic fortunes of our people.”
The Governor commended the federal government for its consistent support to the state government and promised continued collaboration for the benefit of the people.
“We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the Federal Government and the National Agricultural Development Fund for their support to our smallholder ginger farmers and for standing in solidarity with Kaduna State during this challenging period. We acknowledge and appreciate the swift intervention being implemented, particularly the establishment of the National Ginger Blight Epidemic Taskforce to comprehensively address the issues arising from the huge losses suffered by our ginger farmers,” Governor Uba Sani said.
According to the NADF, the first phase of the intervention programme will provide inputs, including maize and sorghum seeds, fertilisers, agrochemicals, and crop protection products, to 5,000 registered and validated smallholder ginger farmers across the seven affected Local Government Areas of Kachia, Zango-Kataf, Kaura, Kagarko, Jema’a, Jaba, and Sanga in Kaduna State.