Ginger blight: FG supports farmers with N1.6bn

The Federal Government has said that it is providing N1.6bn as an intervention fund to farmers to tackle ginger blight, a disease that threatens one of Nigeria’s key agricultural exports.

The Special Assistant on Public Engagement to President Bola Tinubu, Fredrick Nwabufo, disclosed this on his X handle on Monday.

He said the initiative, part of a broader strategy to secure the nation’s food supply, underscores the government’s commitment to agricultural resilience.

As part of its efforts to combat pest infestation, Nwabufo stated that the government “launched initiatives to combat ginger blight, providing N1.6bn in support of affected farmers and distributed pesticides and fungicides.”

“Agriculture and food security are nucleic aspects of President Tinubu’s policy design. Food is an essential and integral component of existence,” he added.

He said food security is a principal element of national security, asserting that “protecting the people against hunger is a basic extension of this sacred duty.”

He noted that the N1.6bn support is part of a series of interventions by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, designed to address both immediate needs and long-term agricultural sustainability.

These measures, according to him include the distribution of pesticides and fungicides to affected farmers, ensuring that Nigeria’s position as one of the world’s largest producers of ginger remains secure.

In addition to the ginger blight initiative, Nwabufo said the government has implemented a range of programmes to bolster food production and stabilize prices.

This includes the recent suspension of duties on various food commodities such as maize, rice, and wheat, and the launch of a dry season farming initiative that has cultivated 118,657 hectares of wheat across 15 states.

“This effort supported 107,429 farmers and resulted in 474,628 metric tonnes of wheat,” he  stated.

Other notable interventions include the distribution of 60,000 metric tonnes of improved seeds and 2.15 million bags of fertilizers, with the Central Bank of Nigeria playing a critical role in this distribution.

He added that “over 2,770 farmers have been empowered across 109 crop production clusters, receiving essential inputs and resources to enhance their productivity.”

Nwabufo stated that the administration is also focused on livestock production and animal health, distributing 14 million doses of vaccines for common diseases and establishing veterinary health centers.

“Training of livestock farmers on biosecurity and antimicrobial resistance is also underway,” he noted.

He emphasised that the government’s multifaceted approach aims not only to tackle immediate agricultural challenges but also to secure a sustainable food future for Nigeria.

“At compelling times such as now, it is important to keep citizens abreast of the government’s efforts in this respect,” he added, reinforcing the administration’s dedication to ensuring food security for all Nigerians.