Though it is no longer news that the country’s ginger farmers have been in dire strait in the last two years as the output has declined maximally, what is new, however, is the uncertainty over this year’s harvest prospect, which might jerk up the price of the commodity.

This has also raised fear that the development might weaken the country’s position as a major ginger producer on the global stage, as many farmers who haven’t recovered from the devastating impact of the fungal disease on their crops and lingering challenges, are hesitant to invest this year.

Since 2023, ginger farming has become nearly impossible due to widespread outbreaks of Ginger Blight, including rhizome rot and bacterial wilt, which have devastated yields across the country and threw many farmers into debt.

With over 100,000 ginger farmers affected, and many losing their entire investments, the crisis has severely impacted the livelihoods of countless smallholder farmers and their families, who rely on ginger farming for their income and daily sustenance.

Despite the N6b facility disbursed last year by the Federal Government through the National Agricultural Development Fund to support the sector, reports and investigations from the affected farmers showed that ginger business in Nigeria is on the brink of collapse due to rampant fungal infections, lack of access to disease-resistant seed varieties, and soaring production costs.

According to the Federal Government, the estimated losses incurred by farmers as at last year was to the tune of N12b, with many of the farmers still struggling to recover, while many have been forced to diversify their crops due to the challenges of ginger farming, impacting the overall agricultural landscape.

Just few weeks, the farmers across the country, through their National Youth Representative, Youth in Agribusiness, Jerry Tobi, called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene, to save the once-thriving ginger industry.

Tobi, who raised alarm that ginger business is on the brink of collapse, said the Federal Government’s intervention provided last year alone is not enough to address the deep-rooted challenges facing Nigeria’s ginger farmers.

He added that ginger farming has become nearly impossible due to widespread outbreaks of the diseases and other challenges, which have negatively devastated yields across the country. He explained that over 100,000 ginger farmers are affected, with many losing their entire investments.

Now, it is becoming evident that the scarcity of this produce might become very severe this year, going by the reality on ground and stance of farmers who are capitalising on the array of challenges bedeviling the industry.

One of the affected farmers based in Zaria, Kaduna State, Mallam Abdullahi Gimba, who rued his losses since the outbreak of the disease, said there is every likelihood of severe scarcity of the produce this year, as many of his colleagues have jettison the cultivation of the crop for other crops.

He regretted that aside the ginger blight disease, inability to get quality seedlings and lingering g insecurity have forced many out of ginger business to focus on other crops that can give them more profits.

While noting that as at last year, a bag of ginger was between N350,000 and N400,000, he noted that the price was jerked up to between N800,000 and N850,000 due to the challenges, warning that except something drastic is done, the price might go higher this year based on reality on ground.

Another farmer from Southern Kaduna, Kabir Gusau, who raised the alarm that more support needs to be given to the farmers, said the cost of production has also increased drastically, forcing majority of the farmers to cultivate other crops with minimal capital.

“Unless these pressing challenges, especially the issue of insecurity and the lingering ginger blight are tackled, it may be difficult for the country to produce more to meet its local demand and this might eventually weaken the country’s position as a major ginger producer on the global stage.

“We need government to mandate the research institutes to provide farmers with quality seedling. This is the period to know their importance, to justice the huge yearly budgetary allocation to these institutes from the Federal Government. Without urgent intervention, the challenges facing the ginger industry might persist,” he said.