Senate Expresses Concern Over N10bn Loss By Ginger Farmers

By James Itodo

The Senate has expressed worry over the loss of over N10 billion by ginger farmers in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State.

This is sequel to a motion by the Senator representing Kaduna South, Sunday Marshall Katung on the urgent need to address the outbreak of a deadly disease affecting ginger production in Southern Kaduna during plenary in Abuja.

Senator Katung told his colleagues that ginger has been grown in the Southern part of Kaduna State since about 1927, which has steadily increased in its importance as a valuable commodity over the years.

According to the lawmaker, Kaduna State ranks the highest in ginger production in Nigeria, adding that it contributes to Nigeria’s place as one of the largest producers of ginger in the world, with a production average of more than 300,000 tonnes during the five-year period 2014-2018, and a global market share of about 11 per cent, trailing after only India.

Senator Katung expressed concern that the 2023 ginger season in Southern Kaduna State has suffered a significant setback due to an outbreak of a fungi infection which destroyed over 2,500 hectares of farmlands estimated at 10 Billion Naira across seven Local Government Areas of southern Kaduna, thereby threatening Nigeria’s position on the world chart of ginger production.

In a remark , President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio called on all the relevant agencies to look at the issues relating to the ginger disease in Southern Kaduna to urgently tackle them.

Edited By Grace Namiji