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The outbreak of various diseases such as Tuta absoluta, ginger fungus and others in 2023 has made farmers lose over N12bn. Damilola Aina writes on the plight of these farmers and possible solutions
It was a cosy morning in Kagarko area of Southern Kaduna, a typical tropical climate with distinct seasonal regimes, oscillating between cool and humid. Everything looked bright and well, but that is not the true reflection of things for Gagarin Madaki, a framer.
Madaki had invested funds worth several millions of naira to cultivate six plantations of ginger in preparation for the upcoming harvest season and was ready to export his items for foreign exchange.
After his morning prayers, the father of five set out to his farm to monitor and weed off bushy areas that were left over the previous day, but alas something had changed, the green succulent leaves were turning to brown dry leaves. An invasion of roundworms had eaten up the rhizome and the vast hectares of land looked set to be destroyed.
“What could be the cause of this?” he asked.
As he narrated to our correspondent, he took a deep breath, an indication that he had yet to get over the incident.
“I don’t know even how to explain, how it all started. But I can only say that it was around July this year that we noticed the leaves were changing colour and it was obviously contagious with the spread,” he said.
Madaki, who doubles as President, National Ginger Association of Nigeria, stated that 70 per cent of the cultivated plantations by members of his association were completely wiped out by the fungi, leading to a loss of over N10bn, as estimated by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council in September. He also stated that the loss was more than what was estimated by the council.
He explained that the incident happening for the first time in over 40 years, shocked indigenes in the area, leaving them confused with no iota on the cause of the disease outbreak.
“Averagely, over 200,000 hectares of land is cultivated and harvested on ginger yearly and 85 per cent of available land is in Southern Kaduna. To be modest, we lost over 70 per cent of cultivated farmlands to that strange fungal disease.
“This is the first time in 40 years but the result was deadly. The losses were very monumental and we have a bit of a problem tracking the loss and I will tell you why. A lot of the causalities were unreported, forget the statistics the Nigerian Export Promotion Commission have.”
Another farmer, Timpot Yaki, who appeared more pained, noted that the sudden outbreak of the disease rattled local farmers.
He explained that the disease affected underground tubers causing them to wither and rot with clear liquid exuding from the affected parts.
On the possible reasons for the disease, the farmer said the outbreak could have been caused by the continuous planting in the area, which may have led to an accumulation of various pathogenic bacteria that aggravated the disease and affected the yield and quality of ginger, bringing losses to production.
He said, “The outbreak really affected me, very much if I must add. But what actually happened was that when I noticed it on my farm, I circled where it affected and pulled out some plants of ginger and I realised some roundworms were eating up the rhizome and as an agriculturist, anything that affects the roots is a fungi disease, but I was confused because there was no research on that situation to guide me.
“I was confused if it was a worm infection or fungi infection, so what I quickly did on my farm was to take precautionary measures by fumigating the farmland with soil insecticides and fungicides.
“But the biggest regret was that I took that preventive measure on just one out of the six farmlands I planted ginger. And I can tell you the other five farms were completely devastated.
“General speaking, anywhere in the world that you have monocropping, it will eventually result in serious damage because year-in and year-out that crop is still grown. It happened with the Irish potato in Ireland and even in Plateau State at a time. So anywhere you have a crop being grown year-in and year-out, with time it will develop an infection.”
With a mixture of fear and nervousness, another affected farmer who gave his name as Chori, said he lost about N3m in capital to the devastating impact of the disease, adding that expert research and guidance were needed to prevent a reoccurrence in the next planting season.
“Frankly speaking, if they talk about the capital involved, I spent over N3m and all went to waste. The ginger leaves just started drying all of a sudden, instead of looking fresh and growing well.
“I believe it’s a foreign disease, a fungus that attacked the ginger. We have never witnessed that before. We still need expert research on this issue because planting in the next farming season will be difficult.
“We already have fungicides to use, but we don’t have the seeds for the next planting season and that is the new challenge we have now, which is a bigger problem than what we are facing now because there will be scarcity.”
A health and agriculture research institute, Pubmed Central, explains that ginger is susceptible to a wide range of 11 biotic and abiotic stresses that adversely affect yield, particularly bacterial and fungal diseases. It states that one of the most significant fungal pathogens of ginger is Fusarium Oxysporum Zingiberi, the causal agent of the disease called Fusarium yellow.
It notes that the pathogen prefers wet conditions, especially in low-lying terrain, poor drainage, and heavy soil, which is conducive to blight disease. Continuous cropping or application of unmatured manure is prone to disease.
This position aligns with the experiences shared by the farmers.
Major exporter of ginger
Nigeria is the largest producer of ginger in Africa, and the second largest in the world after India, with a production chain of 31 million metric tonnes, according to data from the Federal of Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
It is among the top 10 agricultural raw materials exported abroad for foreign exchange. In 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics said Nigeria exported ginger worth about N23.8bn in three quarters.
But this figure would have been increased by an estimated N33.8bn if the Federal Government had taken proactive measures to avert the disease outbreak.
Tomato also affected
Ginger is not the only plant that was affected by the disease outbreak in Nigeria. Tomato also suffered from Tuta absoluta, causing substantial losses to many farmers.
A sudden outbreak of Tuta absoluta in May destroyed tomato farms in five major producing states in the country and led to an astronomic increase in the price of the staple across the federation.
It was gathered that Tuta infestations started and particularly affected the Northern part of the country aided by its high temperature, causing a 90 per cent loss, obliterating investments by tomato farmers in the country.
When contacted, one of the farmers, Sani Danladi, said he was yet to recover from the heavy loss of N6.8bn incurred early this year.
Danladi, who is the National Secretary, National Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, explained that the loss was incurred due to his intention to engage in off-season farming as a business opportunity to reduce the annual tomato scarcity witnessed between May and July nationwide.
Narrating his ordeal, he said, “I was affected by the disease of Tuta absoluta in my farmland of about 10 hectares early this year. What happened was that we did a late production due to annual tomato scarcity. So, we thought to make use of that need to cultivate late so that we can complement available produce or when there is a shortage in the market.
“We were urged to do early production due to climate change which has altered the weather and our planting season. Tuta absoluta is the most dangerous and deadly disease that can affect any farmland. it’s difficult to spot and can destroy hectares of land in hours. Once it gets on your farm, you can’t control it.
“The losses I incurred are enormous, I spent over N7bn to cultivate the farmland and I didn’t make up to N2m. It was very bad. The insect destroyed everything; you would even see it physically on the produce. I only survived due to my belief in God and sheer strength.”
Another farmer, Bashir Garba, said the infection was a pandemic never seen before, affecting the whole plantation of 30 hectares in one village.
He said, “It is a pandemic that we have never seen before. When we planted tomatoes, we didn’t have any problem, but within a short period, those insects started affecting our crops. There was no insecticide that we had not used. But nothing changed, it was like a bush fire.
“I cannot quantify the level of loss, but for those of us within our village we lost about 30 hectares. It ravaged section by section from Bunkure, Garum Malam in Kano State, all were affected.”
He added that farmers had shifted to planting maize, wheat and other in-season crops to help resuscitate those impoverished by the incident.
“We are trying to cope by planting other crops such as maize and wheat, but people like us have planted it again because we cannot just sit like that. If not because of the blessings in tomato farming we wouldn’t have gone back to it. For instance, my mentor lost everything, he couldn’t get even a basket and he invested about N15m.
“Some of our farmers are completely bankrupt, they couldn’t even have the chance to farm during the rainy season. What we do is that what you use to feed your family is what you take out from to invest on the farm, thinking that it would lead to a bumper harvest.”
Poor agricultural reaserch
For Mr Hudu Sallau, the incident clearly showed the poor state of infrastructure and agricultural research in the country.
“We suffered immensely; we disinfected our farms almost every day but to no avail. That would tell you that we were confused about what to do. We were not able to harvest a single basket, and the remaining one was not worth anything in the market. We lost about four hectares and we spent about N500,000 on each hectare.
“We have already started planting another tomato but the real problem is on insecticides, if you use this one today, tomorrow, they will tell you that there is another brand which is about N30,000 per syringe. Because of the severity of the disease, we use about two syringes per hectare. The incident is pathetic, the maggots are as much as ants,” he stated.
He further called for the assistance of the government to help farmers get improved modern-day farming tools and machinery, adding that the high interest rate on loans would make it difficult to engage in a new planting season without any support from the government.
“We are hoping to get improved modern-day farming tools. We have also encouraged our farmers to stick with our former method of planting during the season. Although there will be less produce during the off-season, we first have to secure our businesses. If the weather is very tough, then definitely, the disease will have its way to manifest.
“I have not recovered from the loss up till now, that’s almost a year after it happened. I had to take a loan from the bank, and I haven’t paid it back, the interest rate on the loan is increasing but I am working hard to repay.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has promised to assist us with some chemicals that we would be using if we see the symptoms of Tuta absoluta on our farms. We wait to see how that will be done.”
Research work conducted by our correspondent showed that Tuta absoluta, a moth family specie, is a serious pest of tomato crops in Europe, Africa, western Asia and South and Central America, with its larvae causing up to 100 per cent loss if not effectively controlled.
The larva which thrives in extreme hot weather feeds voraciously upon tomato plants, producing large galleries in leaves, burrowing in stalks, and consuming apical buds, green and ripe fruits.
According to the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, adults usually lay yellow eggs on the underside of leaves or stems, while young larvae penetrate leaves, aerial fruits (like tomatoes) or stems, on which they feed and develop.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security says Nigeria needs 4.5 million metric tonnes of tomato yearly, but has an annual deficit of 1.3 million metric tonnes.
With the current pest infestations ravaging tomato farms, there are fears that this deficit level may rise to three million metric tonnes, not due to ravaging pest attacks but a pall of discouragement and crippling uncertainty on tomato farming.
Rising food Inflation
The spike in food inflation at an all-time record level in 2023 as revealed by the National Bureau of Statistics confirms the effect of the devastating disease outbreaks and the level of hunger stalking the land.
Data obtained from the bureau showed that Nigerians are finding it more difficult to feed themselves, as food inflation rose steadily throughout the year with many more Nigerians sliding into poverty.
That food has become our problem is a sign of apparent neglect of agriculture and the government not being proactive and has no respect for planning and warning.
A breakdown of monthly food inflation showed an upward surge from 24.32 per cent recorded in January to 24.35 per cent in February. An increase of 0.10 per cent pushed the inflation rate to 24.45 per cent in March while 24.61 was recorded in April.
The removal of fuel subsidy and naira devaluation pushed food inflation to 24.82 per cent in May, 25.25 per cent in June, 26.98 per cent in July and 29.34 per cent in August.
Further analysis showed that 30.64 per cent, 31.52 per cent, and 32.84 per cent were the monthly food inflation rates in September, October and November.
This means an 8.52 percentage increase in 11 months between January and November.
To put Nigeria’s problem into perspective, the prices of almost all food items increased tremendously.
A market survey by our correspondent showed that the price of a 50kg bag of tomatoes increased from N16,000 in January to N25,000 in December with a year high of N110,000 during the period of its scarcity.
Also, a bag of 50kg rice which was sold at the rate of N38,000 at the beginning of the year surged by almost 100 per cent to N60,000. Likewise, the price of beans was increased from N32,000 to N46,000 in 10 months.
Other food items such as onions which were sold at the price of N50,000 in January also increased to N 140,000 with no sign of decline anytime soon.
It is almost imperative to note that between October 2021 and September 2023, Nigeria’s inflation increased 23 times, with a singular exception of December 2022 when it slowed to 21.34 per cent from the 21.47 recorded in November 2022.
Over the past few years, food prices in Nigeria have been steadily increasing, with inflation consistently reaching double digits. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics also shows that the average Nigerian reportedly spent around 56 per cent of their income on food.
Recently, the administration of President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency on agriculture and food security and moved it to a priority list in the National Security Council.
Part of the administration’s plan aims to address issues such as farm and farmer security, funding, utilisation of river basins for all year-round agriculture, creation of a commodity exchange board, etc. It remains to be seen how these plans are implemented.
But to the farmers, who are the major victims in this business, it is like oil exploration, thereby making it a significant part of the economy considering the value chain involved from cultivation to processing and harvesting for consumption.
The ailing economic situation means most farmers can only feed the nation by taking loans from microfinance banks and other sources to invest in their farms with the hope of reaping the harvest bountifully at the end of the season and offsetting these loans.
As is the practice with most of farmers, especially the subsistent ones, the thought of insuring their farms against unforeseen circumstances like disease outbreaks does not easily come by.
As stakeholders renewed their commitments to overcome these pest attacks that have plunged tomato farmers into a valley of despair and increased the deficit levels in Nigeria’s tomato requirements for citizens, it is not unclear what remedial policies will be employed by the government to avert a reoccurrence.
Improvement in research necessary
The World Bank in an overview of the agricultural sector, said the lingering effects of the 2022 floods and high cost of imported inputs such as fertilizers, contributed to the slowdown in agricultural output for the first time in seven years.
The bank in its latest Nigeria Development update, December edition, titled, ‘Turning The Corner (from reforms and renewed hope, to results), said, “Agricultural output, which had remained resilient even during the pandemic, contracted for the first time in seven years, by 0.9 per cent in Q1 2023, but rebounded to grow by 1.5 per cent in Q2 2023 and 1.3 per cent in Q3 2023. On average, agricultural output grew by 0.7 per cent in the first nine months of 2023, the lowest level of growth since 2011.
“The slowdown in agricultural output was driven by a significant contraction in livestock and fishing production. The cash shortage experienced in Q1 2023, lingering effects of the 2022 floods, and high costs of imported inputs such as fertilizers contributed to the slowdown in the agriculture sector.”
However, the farmers believe that a strengthened synergy with various agricultural institutes will revitalise the sector through an extensive planting season forecast. They called for improved research on fertilisers and seedlings to boost food production and enhance food security.
The farmers said there should be valuable expertise and resources from research institutes, particularly in sharing knowledge of agricultural innovations and technological practices among farmers in rural communities to forestall a reoccurrence of disease outbreaks.
A ginger farmer, Timpot Yaki, while proferring solutions, stated that adequate research must be the priority of all stakeholders to educate farmers on prevention measures and necessary steps to avert an outbreak.
He added that the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike has not performed its mandatory role to help farmers.
“Incidentally, I have been a voice for adequate research especially in farming, I am from a ginger-producing area and I have been concerned with the research on ginger. Ginger is a rhizome and, sadly, there is no specific research institution that can bring out research papers on ginger. That is a problem,” he explained.
“For me, the best thing is to ensure that whatever planting material our farmers are using must be drenched because fungus and bacterial diseases are not curable but they are preventable. If you dress them with fungicide before planting, there will be no issue. All planting materials must be dressed before the new planting season.”
Also speaking on the issue, Madaki called for improved agricultural research on root crops, particularly cassava, potatoes and ginger, adding that farmers can’t keep bearing the brunt because they are trying to feed the nation.
He stated, “Right now, we have moved away from the cause and looking for solutions, a lot of the crops are affected already and replanting them means the disease will certainly reoccur, so we need to treat the soil and we need to treat the seeds before planting.
“That’s just what we are looking for. We are looking for biological solutions and we are trying to get suppliers for the next season. We hope that the government can intervene because we need resources to acquire materials in form of input seeds and biological and that is a lot of money.
“So, we are working to see if we can partner with any government bodies and we hope they put it into their budgets against next year and that is the only hope we have, if not we are still looking for solutions.
“These things require research but we don’t have all the answers. All of what we are doing is guesswork and theories. The government needs to invest in research and development to help farmers, we can’t keep bearing the brunt because we are trying to feed the nation. We have to do research, detailing all that happened to avoid a reoccurrence.”
However, findings by our correspondent from the proposed 2024 budget showed that 19 research institutes under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (except colleges of agriculture) will receive N51.66bn allocation from the federal budget in 2024. But 64.64 per cent of the money is going to personnel costs, a development which farmers described as a case of misplaced priority.
The 19 research institutes examined include Cocoa Research Institute, Rubber Research Institute, National Institute of Freshwater Fish, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training Ibadan, Nigeria Agricultural Extension Research Liason Services Zaria, and Agricultural Research and Management Institute.
Others include the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation Ilorin, National Cereals Research Institute Badeggi, National Veterinary Research Institute, National Root Crops Research Institute Umudike, National Institute of Oil Palm, Institute of Agricultural Research Zaria, and National Animal Product Research Institute Zaria.
The remaining are the National Horticultural Research Institute, Nigeria Stored Products Research Ilorin, National Agricultural Seeds Council, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Lake Chad Research Institute Maiduguri, and National Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research.
An analysis of the 2024 budget shows that N33.39bn has been mapped out of their N51.66bn total budget to pay salaries, cater for travel, refreshments, meals, welfare and other personnel-related issues, representing 64.64 per cent of the total expenditure for the year.
Personnel cost covers “total cash compensation, costs of training programmes, hiring expenses, severance payments, payroll taxes, workers’ compensation, travel.”
By implication, only 35 per cent of the budget will be dedicated to scientific research, the development of new crop varieties, the production of cheap agricultural equipment, and other scientific breakthroughs in 2024.
Agric ministry mum
When contacted, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security did not respond to enquiries on steps taken by the ministry to help farmers recover from their losses . The ministry also stayed mute when asked to state measures being taken to improve agricultural research on various crops by its institutes.
The Director of Press, FMAFS, Joel Oruche, however, asked our correspondent to send the questions but did not respond as of the time of filing this report.