The West African Regional Director of YARA, Mr Danquah Addo-Yobo, has commended the seventeen women farmers with disabilities who have been nominated for this year’s ‘Gold in the Soil Awards,” for their hard work and resilience.
He said their nominations for the awards would serve as encouragement for more women with physical challenges to enter into agriculture.
“YARA is particularly looking forward to empowering the three hundred (300) women farmers who will be at this year’s event, with new business practices and skills, to help them recover, grow and standout,” ahead of the Women in Food and Agriculture Leadership Training Forum (WOFAGRIC) Gold in the Soil Awards slated for June 22, in the Western Region.
He said a leader in the fertiliser production and distribution space, and an organisation committed to knowledge sharing, adding that YARA would be playing key roles in the practical training and mentoring sessions, as it did annually with the women.
“The platforms continues to provide our experts and agronomists opportunities to impact the women with knowledge on best farming and agronomic practices. We are looking forward to the mentorship sessions, to give the women best recommendations on fertilisers for the right crops, how to use them to ensure great yield and profitability,” he said.
WOFAGRIC Gold in the Soil Awards, he noted, provided a unique and strategic platform for stakeholders in the value chain to present successful modules, agribusiness ideas and practices to corporate and development partners, as well as individuals, who continue to have doubts about the profitability of agriculture.
“We are looking forward to the event creating more value chain partnerships and support systems, so that the participants will not only go back with farming knowledge, but also find market opportunities and collaborations for their agriculture produce and products,” Mr Addo-Yobo said.
He congratulated all the forty-five women farmers who had been shortlisted for the ‘Gold in the Soil Awards,’ and encouraged them to continue excelling in their chosen areas within the country’s agricultural value chain.
The Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa Sarpong said this year’s ‘Gold in the Soil Awards’ received a total of 82 nominations from the Western and Western North regions.
She said for the first time in four years the, ‘Super Woman Farmer Award Category’ committed to recognising the exceptional efforts of Ghanaian women farmers with disabilities received significant entries; indicating a positive representation of the foundations efforts over the past three years.
Other categories of the awards, Ms Sarpong mentioned were Passion for Farm category, which goes to a woman excited and passionate about agribusiness and contributing to the growth of her community, Royal Agro Award, She Innovates, Outstanding Women in Extension Services, and Diamond in the rough Award.
This year’s programme is being sponsored by Global Affairs Canada, YARA, RDF Ghana, ABSA, OCP AFRICA, and Fidelity Bank and supported by Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Women in Agriculture Development (WIAD), the National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association (NFFAWAG) and the Western Regional Coordinating Council.
BY TIMES REPORTER
