Farmers across the country were yesterday honoured for the contributions toward agricultural development of the country.
We bring to our readers reports from our correspondents on the various events at the district level.
From Koforidua, Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman and David Kodjo report that a total of 3,160 farmers in the New Juaben South Municipality in the Eastern Region have benefited from government’s Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Isaac Apaw-Gyasi has said.
They included 2,483 males and 677 females, majority of whom, are the youth.
Addressing the 35th Municipal Farmers’ Day celebration at Densuano, a suburb of Koforidua on the theme “Enhancing small scale agriculture towards agri-business development,” the MCE said the government was satisfied with the rate at which the youth were showing interest in farming.
He indicated that, the municipality through its identified retail distributors have distributed about 88,000 bags of improved maize seeds, 970 bags of fertilisers and 480 bags of cabbage seeds to support the farmers.
Mr Apaw-Gyasi added that, his outfit had registered about 100 farmers who have a total land size of 245 acres.
A 63-year-old farmer, Mohammed Eshun, was adjudged the overall best farmer in the Tema Metropolis at this year Farmers’ Day celebration organised yesterday by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) reports Godfred Blay Gibbah
It was under the theme: “Enhancing Small Scale Agriculture towards Agribusiness Development”.
Mr Eshun received a tricycle, two knapsack sprayers, 10 cutlasses, wheel barrow, agrochemicals, radio set, Wellington boots, motorised sprayer, half piece wax print and a box of key soap as his prize.
He owns a 12- acre farm and cultivates onions, okra, green pepper and bonnet pepper.
He also rears sheep, local birds, snails and crabs among other things.
In all eight farmers including the best Agriculture Department worker were honoured at the ceremony
The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Felix Nii Anang-La, congratulated the farmers for their contribution to food security in the area.
He said 700 farmers had benefited from the distribution of subsidised hybrid maize seed while 1,072 received 4,500 bags of NPK and urea fertilisers and chemicals to control fall army worms in the metropolis.
At the Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly (ANMA), Malik Sullemana reports that Yakubu Iddrisu, a cattle farmer was adjudged the overall best farmer of the municipality.
Mr Iddrisu, 37, took home a television set, a radio, Wellington boot and other farming equipment.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Aminu Zakari urged the youth in the municipality to consider government’s Planting for Food and Jobs as a source of livelihood.
He said the ANMA would provide extension services and farming equipment to those who venture into agriculture.
The ANMA boss thanked Ghanaian farmers for feeding the nation and creating jobs for others.
Mr Iddrisu expressed his profound gratitude to the assembly for recognising the efforts of farmers.
From Tema West, Dzifa Tetteh reports that a 53-year-old man Adamu Naaba who has been farming and rearing livestock for 27 years won the overall best farmer for the Tema West Municipality.
He said farming is lucrative if a person puts in the best of effort and appealed to more youth to join the profession.
Mr Naaba expressed appreciation to the Municipal Assembly for the recognition and appealed for more subsidy on fertiliser and vegetable seedlings to increase the labour of farmers.
The Municipal Chief Executive for the Tema West Municipal Assembly, Adwoa Amoako applauded all the winners for a good job and promised more support for them to improve their work.
She encouraged all farmers in the area to register with the Department of Agriculture to get their data base.
From Ablekuma, Abigail Annoh reports that 12 smallholder farmers and fishers in the Ablekuma North Municipal Assembly were yesterday awarded for their role in agricultural activities in the municipality.
Forty-five-year old farmer, Mr Appiah Kubi received the highest recognition on the day with Mr Yazeed Nartey and Jerry Larkai taking the first and second runner up positions respectively.
Ms Dorcas Kotei, a resident of Darkuman in the municipality emerged the best youth farmer with Madam Patience Kudoega from the same vicinity taking the best agro-processor recognition.
Municipal Chief Executive of the area, Mr Kofi Ofori in a speech made known efforts by the assembly through its Agriculture Department and other stakeholders to work closely with livestock farmers and market women associations to “help stimulate and promote the local economy for job creation and poverty reduction in the municipality.”
He mentioned projects being undertaken by the assembly including improving security, procuring street lights to improve visibility, de-silting of drains and completing ancillary roads in the municipality to improve the welfare of residents.
A 66-year-old crop farmer, Kennedy Enoch Mensah, was yesterday adjured the 2019 best farmer for La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LADMA) at the 35th National Farmers’ day celebration at La in Accra reports Victor Buxton.
He received among other things a refrigerator, cutlasses, Wellington boots, full piece of cloth, water pumping machine, knapsack and a certificate in recognition for his achievement.
Madam Faustina Yemorkor Yemoh won the best female farmer with Richard Acheampong winning the best Fisher folk.
Seven other outstanding farmers were honoured for their various contributions towards the Agric sector in the municipality.
Speaking at the programme, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Rev Solomon Kotey Niikoi, said enhancing the productivity and profitability of small scale farmers to improve their services from subsistence and semi commercial to commercially viable businesses is the best way to go.
To this end, he said government through the National Buffer Stock Company was purchasing a lot of produce from the farmers to curtail the processing and warehousing challenges faced by farmers in the country.
A 45-year-old farmer from Brabedzi in the Cape Coast metropolitan area, Kweku Ansaba, was adjudged the best metropolitan best farmer for his contribution to the development of agriculture in the area, reports David O. Yarboi-Tetteh.
He received a tricycle, wheel barrow, cutlasses, wax print, a radio set, knapsack sprayer, gas stove, rechargeable lamp, Wellington boots and glyphosate.
In all, 11 individuals comprising nine males and two females were awarded at yesterday’s event.
The first runner up was Alhassan Inusah while the second runner up went to Isaac Osei Opoku.
Other winners at the event were Madam Monica Amoonoo who emerged as the metropolitan female best farmer, best metropolitan fisherman went to Patrick Eshun, Yahaya Ibrahim, best crop farmer and Philip Quaicoo, best livestock farmer.
The Cape Coast Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Ernest Arthur in his address, underscored the important role of agriculture to national development and commended the farmers and fishermen for their contribution.
A 40- year- old man, David Angmornor, emerged the Overall Best Farmer in the Ningo Prampram District at the district’s Farmers’ Day celebration held under the theme: “Enhancing Small Scale Agriculture towards Agribusiness Development,” reports Godfrey Blay Gibbah.
Mr Angmornor who is married with four children received a double door fridge, 32 inch flat television set, five cutlasses, agro-chemicals, two pairs of Wellington boots, a bag of fertiliser, bicycle, two half pieces of cloth and assorted canned fish as his prize.
He owns a 167 acres of farm and cultivates watermelon, chills pepper, sweet pepper and tomatoes. A part from that Mr Angmornor rears 300 cattle, 50 sheep, 32 goats, 150 turkeys and 100 local fowls.
The Ningo-Prampram District Assembly (NipDA) in all honoured 10 farmers and institutions for their contribution to food production in the area.
The other winners received radio sets, cutlasses, agrochemicals, Wellington boots, bags of fertiliser, bicycles, half piece of cloth and assorted canned fish as their prizes.
The NipDA Director for Agriculture, Mr Fred K Boadi-Asamoah, said farmers this year cultivated 5,234 hectares of land as compared to 5,065 hectares last year adding there was improved yield in maize, rice, cassava, mango, pepper, onion, tomatoes and water melon production.
He said government’s interventions like planting for food and jobs have had a positive impact on food production.
The District Chief Executive of NipDA, Mr Jonathan Doku, said 2,160 farmers benefited from government’s programme to distribute subsidised fertilisers and seeds to increase the production of lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes to meet demand in the area.
He said some of the improvement recorded in locally produced food would be channelled into the school feeding programme.
From Talon, Yakubu Abdul-Majeed reports that a 45-year-old man, Mr Issah Musah from the Kasulyini farming community in the Tolon District of the Northern Region has been adjudged the best Tolon District farmer.
He went home with the tricycle popularly called Motor king, Wellington boot and a knapsack spraying machine.
The DCE for Tolon, Hajia Yakubu Barikisu commended the farmers for working hard to feed the people of the district.
She mentioned that this year alone about 20,503 farmers in the district have benefited from the fertiliser subsidy.
The DCE added that almost the same number benefited from improved seed programme in the district.
In Sangnarigu Municipal, MCE, Mrs Iddirsu Mariana indicated that there was bumper harvest in the municipality especially major crops such as soya beans, maize, and rice.
She emphasized that the future of farmers particularly rice farmers is very bright and therefore encouraged young people to venture into farming.
A station officer with the Achimota- Mile 7 Police Station, Chief Inspector Anthony Kwesi Avalifo has won the maiden edition of the Okaikwei North Municipal Assembly Farmers’ Day celebration reports Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu.
For his prize, he took home a tricycle, knapsack sprayer, cutlass, and a certificate. Nine other farmers were also awarded at the ceremony.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Boye Laryea speaking on the theme, “Enhancing small scale agriculture towards agribusiness development,” said it reinforces the need for the municipality to bring agriculture to the youth as means of livelihood to them.
He said the government’s flagship policy on agriculture such as Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) and Planting for Export and Rural Development was transforming the face of agriculture in the country.
Mr Laryea said the Department of Agriculture of the municipal assembly is currently implementing the PFJ and RFJ by reaching out to farmers through the access of subsidised planting inputs and cockerel.
The Amanfrom Camp Prison was adjudged the overall Metropolitan Best Farming Institution at the 35th Farmers’ Day celebration at Amanfrom, reports Faustina Kwabea Osei.
The camp prison was presented with a television set, 30 cutlasses, a box of weedicide, five bags of NPK fertilizers, five sets of Wellington boots, a box of Key Soap, a bicycle and five knapsacks.
The camp prison won with 24 acres of maize, 40 acres of oil palm plantation, two acres of vegetable, one acre each of cowpea and woodlot, two acres of orchard and five acres of rice.
In the sector of animal husbandry, the camp prison won with 300 pigs, 150 rabbits and 50 sheep.
The Commander of the Amanfrom Prison Camp, Assistant Director of Prisons, Mr Francis Yelpuo, after the award told the Ghanaian Times that, it was an honour for the camp to win the overall prize as the award proved their hard work had been recognized.
The Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Osei Assibbey Antwi, who addressed a durbar of chiefs and people at the celebration, congratulated all the 15 award winning farmers for their contributions towards improving agriculture in the country.
Farmers in the Upper East Region have marked the 2019 Farmers’ Day across all the 15 municipalities and districts with a call on Ghanaians to consume locally produced agricultural products to boost the economy reports Samuel Akapule.
The Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) who graced the occasions indicated government’s commitment to addressing challenges facing the agriculture sector and building a resilient economy to achieve food security and improve the lives of farmers.
They mentioned government’s flagship programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJs), Planting for Export and Rural Development as interventions that were impacting lives and increasing income levels of farmers and families.
Farmers from the various municipals and districts were awarded with various prizes with 16 and 12 farmers from the Kassena-Nankana and Bolgatanga Municipals being recognized.
Mr Philip Akantuge Amoah from Janania community emerging as the 2019 best Municipal Farmer and was given a motorking tricycle, three cutlasses, knapsack sprayer, Wellington boot, weedicide and a certificate with the Bolgatanga Municipal best farmer receiving five of 25 kilogrammes of NPK fertilizers, cutlasses, Wellington boot, motorking tricycle and a certificate.
The MCE for Kassena-Nankana, Mr William Aduum indicated that under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJs) Programme, 67,906 bags of 25 kilogrammes of subsidised NPK fertilisers and 17,268 Urea were received this year and distributed to 7,240 farmers and this has contributed immensely to the abundance of food that the municipality had experienced.
From Odumse, Lawrence Vomafa-Akpalu, reports that Mr Ibrahim Abubakar from Asebi in the Shai Osudoku District was declared the best district farmer.
He received a tricycle, wax prints, knapsack sprayers, poultry products and other agro- chemicals.
Eleven other award winners received chest and double door fridges, toiletries and agro products.
The Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ms Elizabeth Sackey commended the award winners and assured of government’s support to promote the agriculture value chain towards improving and supporting the marketing procedures of their commodities.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Daniel Akuffo urged land owners to take advantage of government’s Planting for Food and Jobs programme and lease land for the youth to engage in vegetable crop production.
Forty-eight-year- old chief, Nana Duafofe II (Akumadan Kadwo Bosomfo) has won the Overall District Best Farmer 2019 award at the Offinso North District edition of the 35th Farmers’ Day celebration.
The colourful ceremony hosted by the district capital, Akumadan, was chaired by chief of Asempaneye, Nana Kofi Aboagye III (representing the paramount chief of Offinsoman, Nana Wiafe Akenten III).
Gracing the occasion were the Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, Augustine Collins Ntim, the District Chief Executive (DCE), David Kwasi Asare and departmental heads of the assembly.
“It has not been a smooth sailing journey so I am so grateful for the award,” the overall Best Farmer said.
This year’s theme is “Enhancing Small Scale Agriculture towards Agribusiness Development”.
