Nigerian farmers are gearing up, as a new year begins. Before going into that, let us visit Southern Kaduna, where ginger cultivation has thrived for decades and a devastating fungal invasion struck recently, leaving ginger farmers grappling with unprecedented losses worth N12 billion, according to reports. Responding, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) dispatched a team to assess the damage, finding entire ginger farms in Kachia, Zango Kataf, Jema’a, Jaba, Kagarko, and Kaura Local Government Areas ravaged by a foreign fungi.
The Head of NEMA team, Hajiya Aisha Yakubu, during assessment of the affected farms, acknowledged the severity of the situation, emphasising the need for comprehensive intervention. The affected farms, serving as specimens, mirrored the widespread impact across the entire zone. With 70% of plantations wiped out, Gagarin Madaki of the National Ginger Association lamented a staggering loss exceeding N10 billion, challenging the earlier estimates of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
This fungal onslaught, occurring for the first time in over 40 years, baffled local farmers like Timpot Yaki. Yaki, who was greatly disturbed by the outbreak, pointed to a potential culprit – continuous planting (mono-cropping) in the region. He opened that the relentless cultivation of ginger led to an accumulation of pathogenic bacteria, exacerbating the disease and compromising both yield and quality. Yaki’s plight is a reminder of an universal agricultural challenge; monocropping. Drawing parallels with historical instances like the Irish potato famine, he emphasised the inherent risk in cultivating the same crop year after year. In Yaki’s experience, the consequences were dire, with five out of six ginger farmlands succumbing to the fungal menace despite his attempts at preventive measures.
FarmingFarmersFarms was informed that ginger farmers in the Southern Kaduna yearn for relief and the revival of their once-thriving crops, as this unfortunate episode serves as a stark reminder of the perils of monocropping, echoing the warnings from agricultural histories worldwide. Growing the same crop in a continuous cycle makes the entire field susceptible to specific pests and diseases that target that particular plant. This vulnerability can lead to widespread crop damage and yield losses.
Back to the report on farmers ready for 2024 with a charge to strategically plan and explore cost-effective alternatives in the crop farming season. According to the President of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN), Anibe Achimugu, there is need for farmers to make decisions early enough, outlining the importance of identifying suitable portions of land for cotton cultivation. Highlighting the rising costs of farming inputs, Achimugu stressed the significance of early planning and securing critical inputs like cotton seeds for a successful farming season while expressing optimism about the potentials of the cotton industry to boost the country’s economy, if properly managed and funded.
Calling for government and stakeholder intervention, Achimugu advocated for a comprehensive engagement in the sector to foster a comparative advantage in cotton production, processing, and trading. He asserted that the cotton industry could play a pivotal role in poverty alleviation, job creation, wealth generation, and foreign exchange contribution. The President noted that the association would provide training in the use of naturally-available items such as cow urine, manure, chicken droppings, and neem extract, to those interested, adding that support would be given to the most effective and cheaper means of growing cotton.
Achimugu urged both the federal and state governments, local authorities, businesses, and farmers to actively participate in the Cotton-Textile-Garment (CTG) sector. With 33 out of Nigeria’s 36 states capable of growing cotton, he emphasised the country’s potential to develop a comparative advantage in the sector. Achimugu concluded by stating that Nigeria should no longer spend billions on textile imports and urged action to address unemployment challenges, asserting that the time was ripe for Nigeria to embrace opportunities presented by the evolving global landscape in the CTG sector.
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