DRY SPLIT GINGER EXPORT; NON-OIL EXPORT OPPORTUNITY IN NIGERIA.
Anaekwe Everistus Nnamdi
Until the late 1970’s when hydrocarbon was discovered in commercial quantity in Oloibiri, present-day Bayelsa state, Agriculture remained the mainstay of the economy contributing over 90% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country as against the less than 40% it now contributes with crop production accounting for an estimated 85%, livestock 10% and the balance made up by fisheries and forestry.
Any nation that requires economic development must look inward to identify areas where it has a comparative advantage over other nations and seek to develop the identified areas.
Apart from hydrocarbon, Nigeria has a comparative in the Agricultural sector where a variety of products are produced due to the favourable climatic conditions, good soil conditions and the fact that over 70% of the entire land mass of the country is arable.
Nigeria has a comparative advantage in the production and export of Ginger in Africa over her counterparts due to the large arable land available for production and the conducive climatic conditions.
Dry Ginger
FACTS ABOUT GINGER
Ginger or ginger root is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family (Zingiberaceae). Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal.
Ginger cultivation began in South Asia and has since spread to East Africa and the Caribbean.
Estimated National Production: Nigeria’s production in 2005 was estimated at 110000 metric tonnes (FAO).
Types: Pickled ginger, ginger tea, powdered ginger, preserved ginger, dried ginger and crystallized ginger.
Export from Nigeria: 92% of national production
Uses: The list of ginger uses is almost endless, being a pungent spicy herb and one of the more popular food spices. They range from baked products like gingerbread, ginger biscuits, and ginger cookies to drinks like ginger tea, ginger beer, ginger ale, etc. Ginger contains about two per cent essential oil.
The oil is extracted and distilled from rhizomes for various uses in confectionery, perfumery, beverages and pharmaceuticals. Dried ginger is used predominantly for flavouring coffee, especially in the Middle East.
It contains medicinal qualities, and it is also used to calm nausea and aid digestion. Dried ginger is used in many different cooking methods. It is an important spice in Asia, the Caribbean and African cooking.
Areas of Production:
Ginger is produced in six states of the Federation, namely, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, Niger and Gombe, with Kaduna as the major producer.
The total production of ginger in the world is 1,476.9 thousand tons, with a total acreage of 387.3 thousand ha. India, China, Indonesia and Nepal are the major producers of ginger in the world, having production of 517.8 thousand tons, 279 thousand tons, 159 thousand tons and 154.1 thousand tons respectively. Nigeria and India have the largest area under cultivation.
The market for ginger, especially the overseas market in Asia and Europe, is large, expanding and sustainable because of the numerous uses of ginger.
An exporter who can secure a contract at the right price would have an uphill task meeting the demand of the buyer. European Union imported ginger up to 43,056 tons in 2006. The few largest importers are the UK (15,962 tons), the Netherlands (13,204 tons), Germany (4364 tons) and France (2666 tons).
The return on investment on the export of dry split ginger is estimated between 10%- 15%.
For your business plan, update of feasibility report on dry splint ginger, contact me via the email:foraminiferamarketresearch@yahoo.com
