Some ginger farmers in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have raised alarm over their ability to participate in the 2025 planting season, citing a lack of quality seedlings and other essential inputs.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, the farmers called for urgent intervention from the government and stakeholders to address the current situation.
The farmers’ concerns stem from a fungal disease that severely impacted ginger farms in 2023, leading to significant damage and a sharp decline in production.
The Federal Government has estimated that losses suffered by the farmers amount to over N12 billion as of 2024, with many still struggling to recover.
Mr Philip Akuso, a ginger farmer from Bwari, shared his doubts about the chances of a successful harvest if ginger is planted this season. He described the outlook as a “50-50” situation.
Akuso explained that many farmers still lack access to quality seedlings, a lingering issue from the fungal disease that plagued farms in the previous season. This has hindered their ability to produce healthy yields, which has in turn affected the supply of ginger.
“Since the 2023 incident, there has been a scarcity of ginger in the market, and prices have continued to soar,” Akuso said.
He noted that the lack of access to healthy seedlings not only affected harvests but also contributed to skyrocketing market prices.
“By December 2024, a bag of ginger was being sold for N350,000. However, early in the year, prices ranged from N650,000 to N800,000, although they have slightly decreased to about N700,000 now,” he added.
Akuso also highlighted the severe financial and security challenges facing ginger farmers in Bwari. He noted that while some farmers managed to obtain supplies from neighbouring areas such as Kachia and Jaba in Southern Kaduna, others could not afford to do so and were still reeling from their 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 quality seedlings,” Akuso said.
He explained that farmers in neighbouring Kaduna State had a successful harvest last year and have stored some bags for sale, along with good seedlings for the upcoming season. However, very few farmers in Bwari managed a successful harvest last year and are reluctant to try again. Many are hesitant to invest, as they have not yet recovered from the devastating impact of the fungal disease on their crops.
“Nevertheless, we are hopeful that we will have a good yield by the end of the year,” Akuso added.
Akuso called on the government to expedite research into a lasting solution to the crisis and take immediate steps to assist farmers in recovering.
Mr Somo Yakubu, another farmer from 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 explained that most farmers in Kawu-Bwari, where he resides, were also lucky in 2024, 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.
However, Yakubu pointed to insecurity as another major concern, with many farmers fearing kidnapping and unwilling to return to their farms.
He urged relevant stakeholders to address the security issues and help improve conditions for farmers, ensuring they feel safe to continue their work.