A 43 year old farmer, Shaibu Fuseini, was adjudged the overall best farmer for 2021 by the La-Nkwatananang–Madina Municipality in the Grater Accra region.
He took home a cornmill, two Knapsack sprayers, agrochemicals, wellington boots, cutlass, one polytank, gloves, sacks of fertiliser and variety of seeds.
Ten others also received deep freezers, polytanks, seeds, agrochemicals, tins of tuna flakes, double door fridges, cutlasses, wheel barrows and disinfectants.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Mrs Jennifer Dede Adjabeng, speaking at the ceremony commended the residents for turning out in their numbers to support government honour the municipality’s hardworking farmers.
According to her, their action was a clear indication that they were ready to support government planned programmed for the agricultural sector.
Food security, the MCE stated, was crucial to the peace and stability of the country and assured of governments commitment to modernise agriculture through the supply of improved seeds, developing of irrigation systems, promotion of commercial and block farming among others.
Mrs Adjabeng said the municipality through the Modernising of Agriculture in Ghana (MAG), a number of women have been trained in food fortification using soya, poultry and vegetable production, disease surveillance, and Yoghurt production, and urged the residents to venture into backyard gardening in other to earn extra income.
At the La Bawaleshie Presby School park in the Ayawaso West Municipality, 49-year-old farmer at Okponglo near the University of Ghana, Ahmed Abubarkar, was adjudged the Municipality’s best farmer.
He received a Tricycle, water hose, Assorted seeds, wax prints, radio sets, wellington boots, folar spray equipment, agrochemicals, cutlasses and harvesting crates.
Twelve others were also awarded for being the best Poultry farmer, best Agriculture extension officer, best youth farmer, the best woman farmer and the best physically challenged farmer. They also received wheelbarrows, polytanks, LCD Tv sets, cooking utensils, veterinary drugs, knapsack sprayers and wellington boots.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Ms Sandra Owusu-Ahenkorah, speaking at the event bemoaned the inadequate land for large scale farming in the area.
According to her, even though the residents are ready to engage in serious farming activities, the inadequacy of land had been the only obstacle hindering the area’s vision of becoming the food basket for the region.
To address that challenge, she said the assembly would demolish structures under the High-tension cables in order to acquire enough land space for farming.
The MCE stated that research conducted by the municipal directorate of Agriculture indicated that the limited spaces in some areas have been very fruitful for vegetable farmers hence the desire to make more land available to increase vegetable farming in the area in order to improve and promote the socio-economic fortunes of the farmers and the municipality.
Ms. Owusu-Ahenkorah assured of the assembly’s commitment to promote backyard gardening to rekindle the “Operation Feed Yourself” spirit that was exhibited some 40 years ago.
She commended the awardees and urged them to venture into livestock and fish farming in other to win the ultimate prize of Gh¢100,000.00 in the near future.
She appealed to the residents to be mindful of the COVID-19protocols in order to be safe from the pandemic.
Mr Abubakar, on behalf of the awardees, commended the assembly and government for recognising their efforts and assured of working harder to one day win the ultimate prize.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA – AKPALU
