Mastercard and Agrolog Want 60,000 Farmers To Increase Ginger Production In Nigeria

Farmers To Increase Ginger Production…

Agrolog General Services Limited (AGSL) is working with the MasterCard Foundation to announce plans of empowering 60,000 smallholder farmers to increase ginger production in Nigeria.

Compared to other countries, Nigeria’s contribution to total world ginger production is low, although it ranks first because of the percentage of planted area in total hectares under cultivation. The country relies on the old traditional production techniques of small farmers.

The Managing Director of Agrolog Limited, Dr. Manzo Maigari, explained that in addition to improving yields of ginger from 18 metric tons per hectare (MT/ha) to 25MT/ha, the intervention would also create 60,000 on and off the farm jobs that will benefit the farmers and their communities by providing economic recovery, growth, and social stability.

Dr. Manzo Maigari, Managing Director of Agrolog Limited, explained that in addition to increasing ginger production from 18 metric tons per hectare (MT/ha) to 25 MT/ha, the intervention would create 60,000 jobs on and off the farm, benefiting farmers and their communities, providing economic recovery, growth and social stability.

According to Maigari, only smallholder farmers belonging to organized cooperatives existing in these areas of the local government will participate in the program.

He added that selected farmers would receive tool, training support, and that they could immediately grow ginger and food on their farms.

“When used correctly, the ginger value chain can change lives. Ginger products like ginger pepper, powdered ginger, oil, medicine, tea and tonic sugar offer great opportunities for smallholder farmers, youth and women across the value chain. From planting, harvesting, cleaning, cutting, processing, bagging, storing and selling, this initiative offers a glimmer of hope to thousands of families in the

local community was further paralyzed by the pandemic. Now they can count on ginger to generate a steady and sustainable source of income from ginger business and processing,” he said.

He said the partnership brings many benefits to farmers and farming communities, including mechanization, training and capacity building, agricultural mapping, standardization of measures, increased production, improved processing, access to organized markets and financial inclusion.

Mrs. Chidinma Lawanson, National Head of the MasterCard Foundation, said her partnership with AGSL should increase mass production of ginger and create jobs for young people across the ginger value chain.

She emphasized that cooperation would also reduce threats to food security and livelihoods, exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic.

“This intervention is supported by the MasterCard Foundation’s COVID-19 Recovery and Recovery Program, which aim to provide timely support to alleviate the approaching economic crisis in vulnerable indigenous communities and ginger supply to be further disrupted,” said Lawanson.

Miss Kakuta Irimiah, a participant in the initiative, praised the partnership between the MasterCard Foundation and AGSL, saying that the fertilizers and agricultural inputs provided helped her expand her business.

“The Agrolog fertilizer I received helped me produce more bags of ginger. I used to produce 30 bags per hectare, and now I produce 50-100 bags. I also accepted information on how to fertilize and how to “build drainage ditches to prevent my farm from erosion. Before, my product color was yellow, but now it’s green, which is a sign of quality and healthy products” she said.