Dry ginger agribusiness venture, by Chinedu Agbaji

Today’s Agribusiness

Ginger in Nigeria; Ginger is well known in many human communities around the world. Nigeria is the fourth largest exporter of ginger in the world, with China being the second largest producer and India the largest producer and exporter to more than 50 countries and accounting for more than 70% of the world’s production. In the Nigerian market, ginger is well known and in high demand even though it is quite expensive.

Driven by the global food boom, ginger is used extensively in international cuisines and is enjoying huge and growing popularity. The rising demand for natural products in the global health and wellness market has made ginger, one of the most popular foreign exchange earners.

The global ginger processing market size was valued at nearly $2.5 billion last year, according to Expert Market Research, one of the foremost global market research and business intelligence companies. The industry is further expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4 per cent over the forecast period of 2021-2026 to attain a value of over $4 billion by 2026.

The Southern area of Kaduna state is the main Producing Zone with over 95% of the country’s total Production while states like Nassarawa, Benue, Niger, Gombe, Bauchi, and Benue among others are major Producers of the Ginger Crop.

Adding value to ginger

The only way to make money from ginger is to add value to it. The more value you add the more money you make from ginger both from the local and export market. Dry ginger has more value than fresh ginger in the market. It is more concentrated in its chemical composition and can be stored easily for a long time. In addition, it is less cost-effective in transportation and packaging. indeed, the future of the market looks promising with opportunities created in the health and wellness sectors with awareness about the medicinal value of ginger. Emerging trends that have had an impact on the market include consumers’ concerns with health and well-being and the push for green foods. Drying ginger for other use is a good business one can venture into in Nigeria’s ginger value chain.

Drying ginger

Dried ginger is nothing but fresh ginger, which has undergone a drying process. It can be dried under the sun or using advanced technology such as hot air circulation drying technology, this is used in ginger drying processing and is able to ensure a homogeneous temperature. You need machinery for your dry ginger business so that you can meet up with the internationally accepted standard of dry ginger with a moisture content of 9 % Max. This will help you make a good sale when the time to sell comes.

Harvesting

On average ginger takes about nine months from the time of planting to maturity. The rhizome can be harvested at different times depending on its purpose. If fresh ginger is required, it is harvested about six months after planting. If a matured ginger rhizome is required, it is harvested nine months after planting. Sometimes the rhizomes are left in the ground for nearly two years for propagation to continue. In Nigeria, harvesting begins in October and runs through May. Ginger rhizomes can be harvested manually by hand or with machines such as the mechanical digger.

Processing

Many products can be manufactured from dry ginger such as ginger candy, ginger powder, ginger oil ginger drinks and oleoresins. The activities involved in processing ginger depend on the end product required. But for this article, we are looking at business opportunities in dry ginger. When you buy ginger in the market or from farmers you bobble wash, slice and dry using the sun or mechanical depending on your capacity and market. Most people that want to do ginger business don’t want to undergo the process of buying and drying rather they want to buy it dry and sell it to the local market or for export but it must meet the internationally accepted standard. The machinery used in the ginger drying processing business is locally fabricated and of international standard.

The return on investment is high because you are buying from the local markets, dry and packaged to sell at the right time.

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