The national president, Ginger Farmers Association of Nigeria, Gagarin Madaki, has disclosed that organic method of growing ginger is the best way of addressing ginger blight faced by farmers.
Madaki disclosed this yesterday at the launch of products on Ginger/Turmeric Disease Outbreak Solution and Bioherbicide Agriculture Biotechnology in Kaduna.
He recalled that ginger farmers in Kaduna lost N10 billion as a result of fungi infection in 2023, explaining that after about 10 years of research on ginger and after looking at the current challenges that are affecting them, they decided to come up with a solution.
He reiterated that after carrying out tests this year on ginger farms, they discovered that farming organically is the best way to address ginger blight.
“By encouraging organic farming of ginger, l am very optimistic that the crop can be produced safely in line with international best practices,” he said.
The national president further explained that the organic way of farming ginger is not only the best form “but it is environmentally safe; the food is safer and internationally there is a premium; when you sell, they pay more.”
Earlier, Prof Alimi Olasunkanmi Maruf of the Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, said there is the need for farmers of ginger and other crops to come together to find solutions to their challenges.
According to him, farmers need to know what they can do to enhance the cultivation in order to get good yields and avoid the use of chemicals.
He stressed the need for researches to be conducted and applied for better harvest in the country, calling on government to effectively use research results to boost the cultivation of different crops to enhance standards of living in the country.
The chairman, Council of Yoruba Traditional Obas and Chiefs in the 19 Northern States and Abuja, Muhammed Arigbabuwo, urged stakeholders to prioritise local solutions, embrace science and technology as well support initiatives that address challenges in education, agriculture, renewable energy, and unemployment, believing that resuscitating industrial parks and providing micro-credit loans will drive sustainable development.