BY: Lambert Coffie & Rita Nedjoh | Voltaonlinegh.com |
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo together some top government functionaries, have joined hundreds of farmers and other stakeholders from across the country for the 35 National Farmers Day celebration underway at the Jubilee Park in Ho, the Volta Regional capital.
The ceremony which is on the theme: ‘ Enhancing Small Scale agriculture towards Agribusiness Development,’ is under the chairmanship by the Awoamefia of Anlo, Torgbui Sri III.
Other dignitaries gracing the event, include the Minister for Food and Agriculture Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, Volta Regional Minister Archibald Yao Letsa, and Ministers and their deputies from the remaining 15 regions.
Dozens of farmers and fisherfolks from all 16 regions of the country would be honoured at the event, for their outstanding contributions to Ghana’s Agriculture sector.
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Awards
– The 2019 National Best Farmer is Charles Gyamfi, 58-year-old secondary School graduate, from Tano North District in the Ahafo Region.
-1st Runner-Up is Nana Yaw Sarpong Siribuor from the Ashanti Region
-2nd Runner-Up is Abdulai Atiku Seidu from the Upper West Region
Speeches
-President Akufo-Addo said the government was on course to revolutionalize the Agric sector as a move to cut down on the country’s huge food import bill. This, he said is being done through targeted interventions such as the distributing 15 million certified quality seedlings of selected crops to 76,00 farmers across the country.
In addition, he said, the government has imported hundreds of mechanization equipment to modernize agriculture production and move it from a subsistence to commercial venture. Multipurpose grain mills are also being imported from China to help address the challenges of rice milling.
He however charged Ghanaians to eat what we grow to motivate our farmers and boast the economy.
– Minister for Food and Agric, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto touted the success of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, which said has resulted in increased yields.
That notwithstanding, he said the government would continue to invest in the Agric sector to make the country food sufficient.
-Fisheries Minister, Afoley Quaye said the ministry was rolling out the first ever Biometric Canoe identification system to track fishing activities on the country’s waters.
-President of the Best National Farmers & Fishermen Association lauded the government for the numerous interventions in the agriculture sector. He however called for reinstatement of the Regional celebrations of the awards to inspire small holder farmers
-Volta Regional minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa in his welcome address said the region was pleased to host the rest of the country and highlighted some the agriculture and tourism potentials.
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