No fewer than 5000 smallholder farmers who incurred losses during the 2023 farming season due to the effect of ginger blight disease on their farms across southern Kaduna have received Federal Government support.

The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) said the intervention programme in the first phase will provide inputs which include Maize and Sorghum Seeds, Fertilizers, Agrochemicals and Crop Protection Products to 5000 registered and validated smallholder Ginger farmers from across the 7 affected Local Govt Areas of Kachia, Zango-Kataf, Kaura, Kagarko, Jema'a, Jabba and Sanga in Kaduna State.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held in Kachia on Tuesday, Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Muhammad Abu Ibrahim, said the intervention is the first phase of the input distribution program of NADF.

He explained that the support was under The Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment (GRATE) program designed to provide agricultural inputs as a form of support to smallholder Ginger farmers by the Federal Government.

"The Program will enable the affected farmers practice Crop rotation on their farms affected by the Ginger Blight disease while also supporting them towards improved livelihoods from the economic losses they incurred due to the impact of the disease." Abu Ibrahim said.

Kaduna State Governor, Sen Uba Sani, represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, while flagging of the support said the State Government remains resolute to continue provide support to smallholder farmers as a strategy against poverty and boost the economic fortunes of our people.