Ginger farmers in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region, are counting their losses as a strange disease suspected to be a fungal infection, has affected their farms, leaving them in the state of hopelessness.
The Ghana News Agency’s visit to some affected farms in the Poase-Cement, Obuase and Butabe areas of the district, revealed, the devastating impact of the disease.
The disease makes the ginger plant turn yellowish and destroys the rhizome, getting the seed rotten.
A 27-year-old farmer who cultivates a three-acre ginger farm, Aliu Salisu, told GNA that he has lost his investment from selling his taxicab and venturing into ginger farming which has been destroyed by the fungal infection.
He called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to find a lasting solution to the problem, since the youth of the area depend on ginger farms for survival.
According to a 29-year-old Senior High School graduate, Yakubu Muniru, who has planted a four-acre ginger farm, this is the first time they are witnessing such a strange disease in the area.
He said he had invested 30 thousand cedis into the ginger farm during the season, in anticipation of a good harvest, but all the investment has gone down the drain.
The Assemblyman for Butabe and Obuase Electoral Area, Mutakilu Tsadenu, who took the reporter to some of the affected farms, said the disease has affected many farms including his.
He said over 100 acres of farms have been destroyed by the strange disease.
The Kadjebi District Director of Department of Food and Agriculture, Besa Akpalu, when contacted said the department is aware of the infection and has sent samples of the affected plants to the Pokuase Agricultural Research Centre for investigation.
SOURCE: GNA