N5B INVESTMENT IN GINGER FARMING A TAKEAWAY FROM KADUNA STATE ECONOMIC AND INVESTMENT SUMMIT 2016
N5B INVESTMENT IN GINGER FARMING A TAKEAWAY FROM KADUNA STATE ECONOMIC AND INVESTMENT SUMMIT 2016
BY:
Nurudeen Dauda
April 28, 2016
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It gladdens me to note that, we have an administration in place with a record of radical transformation and excellent Public Service delivery. Given the governor’s track record I absolutely have no doubt that the governor will make Kaduna better that he meets it. Let’s the doubting Thomas continue to be!
The Kaduna state economic and investment summit seems all inclusive as every part of Kaduna state has been touched; every part of Kaduna state has its potentials in terms of agricultural products and mineral resources. Kaduna state has huge potentials in Agricultural products such as: Ginger, Maize, Guinea Corn, Soya-Beans, Tomatoes, Sugarcane, Mango, Guava and Cashew and other vegetables etc. These many others are being wasted annually without having any value addition to economy. The government of Kaduna state in the recently concluded economic and Invest summit plans to shop for investment of N5billion for Ginger business in Southern Kaduna. Virtually all the local governments in Southern Kaduna can grow ginger.
Ginger was a major export up till the onset of the petroleum boom in the mid 1960s .Nigeria was said to be producing the most needed and most attractive ginger, most of these products come from Southern Kaduna axis. Since the closure of the Kachia Ginger Company, in Kaduna state many jobs were lost. The Ginger Factory was said to have about 30,000 workers in the year 2000, the factory produced 80 tonnes of Oleoresin, four tones of oil and 100 tonnes of power, annually. Years after, some industrialists kept asking why the company which was positioned to become a major foreign exchange earner for Nigeria could not survive. Some blame successive governments for the collapse of the Kachia Ginger Company that rendered over 30,000 people jobless. Successive governments promised for the resuscitation of the company but to no avail.
However, there is a need to have more private sector investments in the processing of Ginger and other agricultural farm produce; private sector appears to be more efficient in management of businesses. Thanks to Belphins Nigeria limited, a company that runs a partial production, owned by Gen. Yunana Nom (rtd), the ginger company located in Aduwan, Madakiya-Kafanchan road, was said to have boosted ginger farming, since farmers get their product sold in an easy market. Ginger farming and exportation have declined; more so, ginger farming has become a lost glory. We need a lot of investments from the private sector.
Investigation in Kachia, Zangon Kataf, Jama’a, Jaba, Kagarko, Sanga and Kaura local governments, where ginger was produced in large qualities, shows that the production has declined drastically. Checks in some ginger market in communities like; Zankwa, Madakiya, Kafanchan, Abet-Gidan-Maga, Kagoro, Kachia and Kwoi, reavels that only few local business men and women, now have stores for the product because of devaluation in prices.
There is a great demand for ginger, and Southern Kaduna produces one of the best gingers in the world. The ginger is adjudged to be the best in the world. A farmer Jonathan kwasu, said: “ginger has functioned like petroleum since the 1980s-199s when a bag was sold at N17000 as against N3, 000 today. He however, said insecurity and the closure of the ginger company in Kachia, is what is affecting farmers. We also have to buy fertilizer at a very expensive price. Even when the Kachia ginger factory closed, there were people coming from Maiduguri, Adamawa, Niger republic, Benin, Togo, and even from far away India and Asia” (Daily Trust: December16, 2013:P.33).Timothy Auta, a local Ginger buyer, said ginger farming, when encouraged would be capable of providing self employment to many youths, as it was from 1960s to 1990s” (Daily Trust: December16, 2013:P.33).
Alhaji Sadiq Shefi’u Tahir, Chief executive of S.S.T commodity Broadcast, a ginger dealer in Kafachan, said the experience of ginger farmers is sad, but called on Government to come to their aid, so that they would fully move into ginger commercial farming, processing and packaging, to meet the standard of the international market.(Daily Trust: December16,2013:P.33).
”-Mr Baji Guga,National President, Ginger farmers association of Nigeria in Kafanchan said: “If government can revolutionize the farming of cash crops, especially ginger through direct loan assistance, production of large quantities of organic fertilizer, training on farming techniques and procurement of processing, drying and packaging machines, country will be a better place” (Daily Trust: December16,2016:P.33).
Philip Gwada and Major Kore Keze, Chairmen of ginger farmers Association, Jaba and Jema’a local Government Chapters, in separate interviews, said Nigeria will, in no distant future, recover from its economic malaise, if cash crops like ginger are given due consideration by relevant government. They lamented that the challenge we have today is insecurity, and the closure of some ginger companies in our area. Other challenges facing ginger product in the country also include poor researches, lack of organic fertilizer, loan facilities, modern farming implements, direct link with international buyers and exploitation of farmers by middle-men, who are reaping big at the expense of the local farmers” .(Daily Trust: December16,2013:P.33).
James Kogi Secretary, Ginger farmers Association in Jaba local government of Kaduna state, said: “he disclosed that ginger farmers in Southern Kaduna require processing, drying and packaging machines to meet the international standard” (Daily Trust: December16,2013:P.33).
The state government can support the development of ginger farming by providing Fertilizer at subsidized rate, seedlings, pesticides, herbicides etc. However, this idea could provide a lot of employment opportunities, expansion of local market, boosting of Agricultural activities thereby creating jobs, the state government can generate revenue from the farmers and transporters.
In the light of this, a I will like to advise the government to come up with a comprehensive plan through private sector funding or partnership with the state government on how to revive or establish New Mini refineries that will be processing Agricultural products such as: Sugarcane, Soya-beans, Mangos, Cashews, and Guavas etc.
May God bless Kaduna State!