BY: Lambert Coffie | Voltaonlinegh.com|
A 58-year old farmer, Mr. Charles Gyemfi was on Friday adjudged the 2019 National Best Farmer at the 35th edition of the annual Farmers Day celebration held at the jubilee Park in Ho.
Mr. Gyemfi, who hails from the Tano North district of the Ahafo region, has been farming for the past 25 years, producing hundreds of acres of food crops and cash crops as well as poultry and livestock, among others.
The father of five who was the 2018 National Best Cocoa farmer, took home a cheque of GHc536,000 sponsored by the Agricultural Development Bank, a GHc500,000 worth of insurance cover from Glico Insurance, and other packages from sponsors.
President Akufo-Addo presented the prizes to the winner and decorated him with the coveted 2019 National Best Farmer sash.
Key Highlights
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- Gyamfi was the National Best Cocoa Farmer in 2018.
- He is a Secondary School graduate and has been farming for 25 years.
- He employs over 150 workers on his farms.
- He is very diversified, and involved in value addition to some of the produce.
- He has 500 acres of cocoa, 75 acres of cashew and 20 acres of teak.
- He also has 10 acres of cassava, 4 acres of yam, 20 acres of cocoyam, 60 acres of maize, 16.5 acres of garden eggs, 10 acres of oil palm, 30 acres of plantain, and 25 acres of citrus
- Gyamfi has 75 cattle, 28 goats, 2,000 layers, 5 beehives, 3 fishponds and 1,000 snails.
- He takes over from James Obeng Boateng who won the 2018 edition.
Other Winners
The first and second runners up for the 2019 national award were, Nana Yaw Sarpong Serebour, from the Ashanti Region and Abdulai Atiku Seidu from the Upper West Region, respectively.
They both took home various prize packages including insurance cover from Glico worth Ghc300,000 and Ghc200,000 respectively.
The National Best Female Farmer award went to Philomena Tenge from the Eastern Region, while Ayuba Jibrila from the Ashanti Region walked away as the National Best Youth farmer.
Winners of the Regional categories in all 16 regions were also awarded at the ceremony by their respectively Regional Ministers.
The ceremony which was chaired by the Awoamefia of Anlo, Torgbui Sri III has in attendance several dignitaries, including traditional and religious leaders, government functionaries such as all 16 Regional ministers.
Source: www.Voltaonlinegh.com