Mercy Corps said empowered 9,383 ginger farmers in Kaduna State through its Empowering Resilient Ginger Farmers (ERGF) project, aimed at boosting productivity and improving livelihoods.

Programme Manager, Mercy Corps, Ismail Rilwan, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the closeout meeting of the project with LAPO Microfinance Bank.

He said the project, supported by donor TAZO, began in March 2023 and will run until August 2025 across four local government areas of Southern Kaduna.

They are Kachia, Jaba, Sanga and Jemaa, known as the “ginger triangle”.

Mr Rilwan noted that Nigeria is the world’s second-largest producer of ginger, with Kaduna contributing about 90 per cent of national output.

“Despite this advantage, farmers face recurring crop diseases, high input costs and limited access to finance.

“The ERGF project was initiated to address these gaps, increase yields and promote financial stability,” he said.

He explained that the project was designed to support smallholder farmers, especially women, to overcome long-standing challenges in ginger cultivation.

According to him, the programme seeks to empower at least 51 per cent female farmers by raising productivity and income, while building resilience to agricultural and economic shocks.

He said the two main objectives were to boost production through improved seed systems and sustainable practices, and to enhance financial inclusion through training and access to credit facilities.

Mr Rilwan identified weak seed systems, labour-intensive processes, recurring diseases and poor access to finance as major constraints confronting ginger farmers.

He said Mercy Corps was working with several partners, including the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna Agricultural Development Agency, and Kaduna State University.

Others were Octavio Development Company, Co-Funds, LAPO Microfinance Bank, Bank of Agriculture, Salama Radio, Rockside FM, Nigerian Export Promotion Council and Incorporated International Development.

“Already, yields have improved from the average 5–12 tons per hectare to approach the 38 tons per hectare potential under optimal conditions,” he said.

He added that farmers gained better access to loans, while women were increasingly participating in agribusiness and decision-making within their communities.

On lessons from the 2023 ginger disease outbreak, which caused an estimated N10 billion losses, Rilwan said: “There were early signs and symptoms, but they went unnoticed”.

“Going forward, we must strengthen extension services and establish an early warning system to detect and contain such outbreaks before they spread”.

Also speaking, John Okpebo, a representative of LAPO Microfinance Bank, said lack of access to credit remained a major barrier for Nigerian farmers.

“Many farmers face bottlenecks such as tedious processes, high interest rates and long delays. Some wait for months, and in extreme cases, even years before loans are disbursed,” Okpebo said.

He said his bank, in partnership with Mercy Corps, had disbursed N48 million to 305 farmers in Kaduna State, including 170 women.

According to him, the loans covered farm inputs, labour and other value chain expenses, with flexible repayment terms tied to the ginger harvest cycle.

“The farmers were given a grace period until harvest before repayment, and loan terms were adjusted to match the gestational period of ginger,” he said.

Mr Okpebo stressed that sustainability and inclusion were key to achieving long-term impact.

“Inclusion is about bringing more people into the value chain and the financing sector, including women and cooperatives. That is how we build resilience and shared prosperity,” he added.

Mercy Corps operates in more than 20 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Portland, United States.

In Nigeria, its thematic areas include Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Food Security and Livelihoods; Economic Opportunity; and Peace and Good Governance.

Highlight of the meeting was a panel discussion on financial inclusion and resilience: driving shared prosperity in Nigeria. (NAN)