Declare Ginger Fungi as pandemic – NEPC tells FG

The Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Dr. Ezra Yakusak has urged the Federal government to declare a pandemic on ginger fungi infestation as over 2,503.9 hectares of farmland have been destroyed by the outbreak.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at the opening of the 2rd National Conference on the non-oil sector, Yakusak revealed that the ginger sector is losing over N8 billion due to the disease.

“I will not do justice to this address if I do not present the challenges being faced by farmers and exporters of ginger in Nigeria.

“It is a known fact that Nigeria’s ginger has been adjudged as the best in the world due its unique aroma, pungency and high oleorosin content.

“This makes Nigeria one of the largest exporters of ginger in the world. However, the Council received several complaints of the outbreak of a strange disease ravaging ginger farms in Kaduna State.

“So far, about 2,503.9 hectares of farmland have been affected with an estimated loss of over N8billion. Apart from the huge financial and economic loss, the disease is affecting the income and livelihood of ginger farmers who are mostly MSMEs”.

He explained that “with the outbreak of the disease, Nigeria’s non-oil export performance may experience a steep decline, except the issue is adequately addressed.

“your Excellencies, May I stress that this is not the time for us to accommodate any minute disruption in our foreign exchange inflow. With the current state of the Naira, every single source of foreign exchange must be carefully and jealously protected.

“It is in this direction that I call on the Federal Government to declare the ginger fungi infestation as a crop pandemic and fight it with the same viciousness our nation fought the COVID-19 pandemic to a standstill still” the ED stated.

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