Ginger farmers in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have raised serious concerns over their ability to participate in the 2025 planting season, citing a lack of quality seedlings and other vital inputs. Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja, the farmers appealed for urgent government intervention and support from relevant stakeholders to address the ongoing crisis.
The farmers’ challenges stem from a devastating fungal disease that struck ginger farms in 2023, causing extensive damage and a significant drop in production. The Federal Government has estimated losses at over N12 billion by 2024, with many farmers still struggling to recover.
Mr. Philip Akuso, a ginger farmer from Bwari, expressed doubt about the prospects for a successful harvest this season, describing it as a “50-50 situation.” He explained that many farmers still lack access to healthy seedlings due to the fungal disease that ravaged their crops last year, making it difficult to achieve strong yields and further constraining supply.
“Since the 2023 outbreak, there has been a noticeable scarcity of ginger in the market, and prices have continued to soar,” Akuso remarked. He pointed out that the difficulty in securing quality seedlings has not only affected harvests but also contributed to a surge in prices.
“As of December 2024, a bag of ginger was sold for N350,000, but earlier this year, prices ranged between N650,000 and N800,000 at some points.
It has now slightly decreased to around N700,000,” he added.
Akuso also raised concerns about the compounded challenges faced by ginger farmers in Bwari, who are struggling not only with the lack of quality seedlings but also with financial hardship and insecurity. While some farmers have managed to source seedlings from neighboring areas such as Kachia and Jaba in Southern Kaduna, many others cannot afford this option and have yet to recover from their previous losses.
“If you ask me, I’d say only the wealthy can afford to go into ginger production right now, as it requires substantial capital, particularly to purchase good seedlings,” Akuso said. He noted that farmers in Kaduna State had a successful harvest last year and have stored some bags of ginger for sale, along with healthy seedlings for the next planting season. However, few farmers in Bwari experienced a successful harvest and many are hesitant to reinvest, still reeling from the devastating effects of the fungal disease.
“Nevertheless, we remain hopeful that we will have a good yield by the end of the year,” Akuso concluded with cautious optimism.
Similarly, Mr. Somo Yakubu, another farmer in Bwari, shared that he had been fortunate enough to save two bags from the previous year’s harvest, which he plans to use for the upcoming planting season. He added that most farmers in Kawu-Bwari had a similar stroke of luck, as the disease did not strike early, allowing their crops to mature almost fully before being affected.
Yakubu, like Akuso, called for swift government action, urging the need for research and effective solutions to address the crisis and provide relief to farmers who are struggling to recover from the losses.