Ginger farmers lament rejection of products internationally
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The National President, National Ginger Association of Nigeria (NGAN), Mr Gagarin Madaki has lamented that in spite of Nigeria ginger being rated one of the best in the world, the products are rejected internationally.
He also lamented that the post-harvest handling was poor, stressing that there should be a shift from ginger being bought per bag to per kilogram in order to enhance value to the farmer and for the country to generate more revenue.
He stated, “The farmer is cheated, the buy is cheated. The sharp practice has to stop.”
Speaking in Kaduna shortly after his inauguration as the new president of the association, Mr Madaki stressed that, “the group needs to adopt a new strategy towards ensuring that Nigeria’s comparative advantage in ginger production receives a boost by way of producing and exporting quality produce, leveraging on the international best practices.”
According to him, members would hit the ground running by encouraging the farmers to produce based on international best practices.
He stated that they have issues of poor post-harvesting handling, use of inorganic chemicals, among others, adding that there was the need to improve the yields the farmers get.
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Madaki stressed that he was the first and only indigene that had used the dry port in the last five years to export ginger, noting that the problem was not from the dry port but the congestion at the other end.
The President also said the process is very smooth and encouraged people to use it, assuring that “it is a one-stop shop Customs payment, among others.”
He emphasized, “Ginger is the fourth largest priced commodity in Nigeria which makes it a good foreign exchange earner. It is used in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical drugs and during COVID-19, ginger value got skyrocketed by about 500 percent because people know the impact it has on colds, cough and all that.”
Other officers elected included: Isaac Kure (Deputy President), Emmanuel Hehemiah (National General Secretary), Mrs. Elizabeth Bukar (National Vice President-Northeast), Tekaa Luga (National Vice President, North-Central), Amaechi Ikerinyimba (National Vice President, (North-East), Richard Isokari (National Vice President, (South-south).
