Business Post Contributor
By Bliss Okperan
The House of Representatives has charged the federal government to create a reliable research mechanism and provide improved ginger seedlings to farmers.
The lower chamber of the National Assembly made this appeal when one of its members, Mr Amos Magaji, raised a motion at the plenary on Tuesday on the disease giving ginger farmers in Kaduna State sleepless nights.
The lawmaker said the problem was making it difficult to cultivate ginger in the state, saying this has caused unbearable economic losses to farmers, who use the crop, which he described as a cash/medicinal crop, as their mainstay of survival.
While moving his motion, which was seconded by Mr Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, the legislator urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to assist the farmers, who have nowhere to run to.
The green chamber of the parliament, which adopted the motion, also asked the Minister of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide financial support to farmers who lost a lot due to this disaster.
It further asked the federal government to make efforts to stop the continuous spread of the disease ravaging the crop and others across the country.
Ginger is used in the preparation of medicines and confectionery; it further helps with cancer, weight loss and other health benefits.
