Some ginger farmers in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have raised concerns over their ability to participate in the 2025 planting season, citing a lack of seedlings and other critical inputs.
The farmers, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja, called for urgent intervention from the government and relevant stakeholders to address the situation.
According to them, the challenge stems from a devastating fungal disease that hit ginger farms in 2023, causing widespread damage and a sharp decline in production.
The Federal Government has since estimated the losses suffered by farmers at over N12 billion as of 2024, with many still struggling to recover.
Uncertain harvest prospects
Mr. Philip Akuso, a ginger farmer in Bwari, said the chances of getting a good harvest if ginger is planted this season are uncertain, describing it as a 50-50 situation.
He explained that many farmers still lack access to quality seedlings due to the devastating fungal disease that affected farms in the previous season.
This, he noted, has made it difficult to achieve healthy yields and has significantly affected supply.
“Since the 2023 incident, there has been a scarcity of ginger in the market, and the price has continued to skyrocket,” Akuso said.
He revealed that the inability to access healthy seedlings has not only impacted harvests but also contributed to a surge in market 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 point. It has now come down slightly to about N700,000,” he added.
Financial and security challenges
Akuso also expressed concern about the dire situation faced by ginger farmers in Bwari, who are not only struggling with the lack of quality seedlings but also facing financial difficulties and insecurity.
He mentioned that while some farmers were able to obtain supplies from neighboring producing areas like Kachia and Jaba in Southern Kaduna, others could not afford to do so and have yet to recover from previous losses.
“If you ask me, I’d say only the wealthy can venture into ginger production right now because it requires significant capital, especially to purchase good seedlings,” Akuso said.
He explained that farmers in neighboring Kaduna State had a successful harvest last year and have stored some bags for sale, along with good seedlings for the upcoming season.
In contrast, very few farmers in Bwari were successful last year and are willing to try again. Many are hesitant to invest, as they have not recovered from the devastating impact of the fungal disease on their crops.
“Nevertheless, we are hopeful that we will have a good yield at the end of the year,” Akuso added.
Calls for urgent government action
Akuso called on the government to expedite research and find a lasting solution to address the crisis and salvage the situation.
Similarly, Mr. Somo Yakubu, another farmer in Bwari, shared that he was fortunate to save two bags from the previous year’s harvest, hoping to use them for the upcoming planting season.
He noted that most farmers in Kawu-Bwari, where he resides, were also lucky with their 2024 harvest as the disease did not strike early, allowing their crops to mature almost completely before the attack.
“There was no remedy of any sort; it was just the grace of God. It’s a necessary risk to take, who knows, we might get lucky again this year,” Yakubu said.
Insecurity and its impact on farming
However, Yakubu highlighted insecurity as another major concern, as many farmers fear kidnapping and are reluctant to return to their farms.
He appealed to relevant stakeholders to address the insecurity and help improve conditions for farmers.
