From TCNEWS
The traditional ruler of Oriendu autonomous community Ohuhu clan in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, HRM Eze Pastor Philip Ajomiwe has disclosed that the ginger export sector offers lucrative opportunities for young entrepreneurs and investors.
To this end, he has advised the Abia state government to encourage ginger farming as its value chain, if well harnessed can boost the State Internally Generated Revenue and also transform livelihoods.
Interacting with our correspondent while planting Ginger seedlings in his farmland (about ten plots of land), Eze Ajomiwe said that ginger products such as ginger spices, powder, oil, medicine, tea, and tonic confectioneries hold massive opportunities for smallholder farmers, young people, and women across the entire value chain.
He harped on the need for the government to rejuvenate ginger farming, from the planting, harvesting, cleaning, cutting, processing, bagging, storage, and sales with substantial funding for improved and better Ginger yield.
According to him, through Government’s intervention in the ginger subsector, most homes that have been affected by the present economic challenges will be able to rely on a steady and sustainable income stream through ginger farming and processing.
He reasoned that the core mission of any Agriculture minded administration should be empowering rural agricultural communities, which Governor Alex Otti administration’s has never been found wanting.
Eze Ajomiwe who said that the global demand for ginger is projected to rise, driven by its increasing use in the pharmaceutical industry, health products, and culinary applications, pointed out that Abia State in particular and Nigeria in general is well-positioned to capitalize on this growth, with ongoing investments in modern farming techniques and processing facilities.
The traditional ruler who examined the profitability and efficiency of small scale ginger production, strongly believe that if management techniques are improved and most unemployed youths that engaged in the ginger farming would attain the level of the most efficient ginger farmer and will also enjoy an output increase of the crop.
According to the records available, Nigeria is the largest producer of ginger in Africa and second largest in the World with a production share of about 16.9% after India (with a production share of 43.8%). Even with its large production, Nigeria is only a small contributor to global ginger exports, at just 3.5% of the total volume in 2019. The country only came onto the world stage for ginger starting in the 1990s, given a strong domestic ginger market.