Famers seeks FG’s grant, seedlings to boost ginger farming

Farmers under the aegis of the National Association of Ginger Farmers has called on the Federal Government to give grant and seedlings to them.

The ginger farmers spoke on Tuesday in Asaba, Delta State, during a capacity building workshop on scaling solutions to control Aflatoxin in ginger value chain for farmers and processors.

The chairman of Board of Trustee, Ginger Association of Nigeria, Delta State chapter, Mr Gideon Nwaomu, said the aim of the association was to improve lives and quality of living of farmers through the planting and consumption of ginger.

He maintained that natural ginger could help in alleviating conditions of stomach upset , nausea, vomiting, osteo arthritis pain and high blood sugar.

He said, “Our current focus on food and Agro sector will be the harmonization of the efforts of the ginger farmers in the South-South where we represent a cluster of over 2,000 farmers in Delta State with a projected combined production of over 20,000 tonnes of ginger per annum.

“The goal of the ginger farmers is to foster and build a strong relationship with both local and international markets, buyers seeking to secure purchase both crude and processed ginger.”

He added that anything that threatened the growth and survival of ginger industry also threatened the health, development and economic prosperity of the nation.

Also, the Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, A.G Abubakar, who was presented by John Ifonado, State Director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Delta State, noted that ginger is one of the important crops for export, food, and nutrition security in the country.