The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, have launched initiatives to end the continuous ginger disease in the country.

The initiative, through the Ginger Value Chain Recovery and Sustainability Programme (GVCRSP), is said to be a major intervention aimed at restoring Nigeria’s ginger industry following the devastating ginger blight epidemic that crippled production across key growing areas.

Speaking on behalf of the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, the General Manager, Technical Services, Ernest Ihedigbo, who participated in the Unveiling of this initiative, NRCRI in Umudike, said that the present administration would remain committed to repositioning agriculture as a driver of economic diversification, food security, industrial development and export competitiveness.

He disclosed that the Ginger Value Chain Recovery and Sustainability Program was an integral part of the NADF Ginger roadmap, developed after the Ginger blight epidemic.

According to him, “ the unveiling of the programme and the formalisation of the partnership with NRCRI reaffirmed NADF’s mandate as the Federal Government’s catalytic financing institution dedicated to translating agricultural policies into sustainable investments that strengthen research, innovation and national food sovereignty.

He explained that, “ this intervention is expected to strengthen research infrastructure, improve the capacity of scientists and researchers, promote demand-driven research, deepen linkages between research institutions and farmers, facilitate the commercialisation of agricultural technologies and foster partnerships with leading international research organisations.

“ The second intervention, the Ginger Value Chain Recovery and Sustainability Programme, is specifically designed to rebuild the ginger industry after the 2023 ginger blight epidemic, which severely disrupted production, affected thousands of farmers, reduced export earnings and exposed structural weaknesses within the value chain”, he added.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of NRCRI, Professor Chiedozie Egesi, said the programme was a timely intervention capable of addressing critical challenges confronting Nigeria’s ginger industry.

Represented by the Director of Root Crops Research, Dr Adeyemi Olojede, urged stakeholders to work together to develop practical solutions that will restore production and strengthen resilience within the value chain, regardless of the uncertainties surrounding the causes of the disease outbreak.

He added that “the collaboration would provide the financial and institutional support required to convert scientific ideas into practical solutions that directly benefit farmers and the wider economy”.