The outbreak of ginger blight epidemic in four states in Nigeria has been confirmed by the federal government,adding that ginger farmers have lost over N12bn due to the disease.

According to the PUNCH, the update was disclosed at the inauguration of the National Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce in Abuja and it was revealed that the fungal disease had inflicted significant damage on ginger farms in Kaduna, Nassarawa Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the blight had caused billions of naira in losses, impacting not only the livelihoods of farmers, but also Nigeria’s position as the world’s second-largest ginger producer.

“Our preliminary estimates suggested that affected farmers in southern Kaduna lost over 12bn

Furthermore, considering that over 85 percent of Nigeria’s ginger cultivation occurs in this region, we can safely assume a substantial loss of cultivated land, potentially exceeding 70 percent of total land,” he stated.

He, however, stated that the Federal Government through the National Agricultural Development Fund would launch an N1.6bn recovery package for affected farmers in ginger-producing areas.

Abdullahi said the ginger blight epidemic served as a stark reminder of the importance of preparedness in safeguarding agricultural resources, adding that by investing in research, extension services, and farmer support systems, a more sustainable future for our agricultural sector can be built.

The Chairman of the task force committee, Abubakar Abdullahi, on his own part said there was no doubt that the blight on ginger had negatively affected the Gross Domestic Product earnings from this subsector.

“It is of necessity and great urgency that various subcommittees are put in place to forestall these negative effects,” he stated.

Abdullahi assured the minister of the commitment of the team to salvage the situation, as he pleaded with the minister to give the committee the power to co-opt members that would add value to the task force to discharge their duties efficiently and effectively.