Nigeria’s agricultural bank revives ginger farming in Kaduna
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Punch
Nigeria’s Bank of Agriculture is supporting around 3,400 ginger farmers in 15 groups in Kachia, Kaduna State, after ginger disease devastated crops. The bank is providing seedlings and technical support, aiming to revive national production to as much as three million tonnes within five years, according to Punch.
The Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Nigeria’s public bank dedicated to agricultural financing, is supporting around 3,400 ginger farmers across 15 production hubs in Kachia, Kaduna State. Its managing director, Ayodeji Sotinrin, announced the figure on Sunday during a farm visit where he inspected mature crops and harvested ginger.
The intervention aims to revive a sector hit by ginger disease. The BOA is providing seedlings and agricultural advisory services; some of the harvest will be used to produce seedlings through tissue culture in order to extend the programme to other farmers. The bank also plans to establish nurseries to support production in 16 Nigerian states.
Ayodeji Sotinrin believes national production could reach three million tonnes within five years if the programme and its expansion are maintained. He estimates the potential economic value of this output at around $3 billion and says farmers could substantially increase their incomes. The BOA also offers agricultural financing at an interest rate of 9%, in line with a federal government directive.
The bank is also working with the government on other agricultural sectors, including a guaranteed minimum price programme for maize to protect farmers when market prices fall, according to the BOA.
