Bank of Agriculture boosts ginger production in northern Nigeria
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The Bank of Agriculture provided planting materials and extension services to approximately 3,400 farmers in the Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria.
This intervention aims to revive the ginger sector after a blight previously devastated local production. The bank is working with Agrolog, a coordinating body, to organize farmers into clusters. This partnership provides guidance on cultivation and monitors crop development.
The program specifically includes internally displaced farmers who were affected by regional insecurity, with over 900 such individuals participating in one cluster. Ayodeji Sotinrin, the managing director of the Bank of Agriculture, stated that the bank intends to establish nurseries to support ginger production across 16 states. The bank is also using harvested ginger for tissue culture to create planting materials on a larger scale.
Sotinrin expects Nigeria's ginger production to reach three million tonnes within five years, potentially creating 3 billion dollars in economic value. The bank offers financing at a nine per cent interest rate to make agricultural credit more affordable for farmers. While the sector has recovered to about 30 per cent of its previous capacity, the bank aims to expand the program to more communities. The initiative also targets at least 50 per cent female participation among the ginger farmers.
