The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has commended Madam Charity Akutia, the 2023 National Best Farmer for her contributions to agriculture and job creation.
The Minister, who was speaking at a short ceremony to handover the award prize to her pledged the ministry’s support for her and other award winners, to expand their operations and continue feeding the nation.
He expressed gratitude to various stakeholders and highlighted significant achievements in Ghana’s agricultural sector.
In recognition of the Best Farmer’s achievements, the Minister began by acknowledging the dedication and hard work of the ministry’s team, the directors of AgriBank and the staff.
He also praised the commitment of the Agric-Development Bank (ADB) in supporting Ghanaian farmers, noting their consistent contribution of one million Ghana Cedis to the Best Farmer Award.
Mr. Acheampong emphasised the government’s focus on agricultural self-sufficiency. He highlighted the success of farmer registration through the Ghana Agriculture and Agribusiness Platform, with over 200,000 farmers registered and plans to reach two million farmers in the next year.
Regarding poultry production, the Minister announced ambitious targets, with plans to achieve poultry self-sufficiency in five years by increasing production and reducing imports.
He also discussed significant advancements in irrigation schemes, revealing that 25,000 hectares had been added during his tenure, a substantial increase compared to previous years.
Mr. Acheampong concluded by expressing gratitude to all partners, especially ADB, for their continuous support of Ghanaian farmers.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to agricultural development and urged stakeholders to work together towards achieving food self-sufficiency.
The Managing Director of ADB, Alhaji Alhassan Yakubu-Tali, highlighted ADB’s role as the lead sponsor of the National Best Farmer award for 23 years, underscoring the bank’s dedication to promoting women’s rights and empowering farmers and fishers across Ghana.
Madam Akotia’s innovative proposal to invest the one million Ghana seeds prize money into expanding Green World Farms exemplified her commitment to sustainable agriculture and community development.
Her initiatives, including youth and female capacity building, investment in social and solar-powered facilities, and support for young farmers, resonated closely with ADB’s mission of enhancing livelihoods and promoting food security.
The Managing Director assured ADB’s full support for Madam Akotia’s initiatives, including assigning a dedicated relationship manager to ensure efficient farm utilisation.
He reiterated ADB’s commitment to providing farmer-friendly products and programs based on climate-friendly principles, highlighting collaborations with government and the private sector for impactful projects, such as Planting for Food and Jobs Phase 2.
Madam Charity Akutia, who addressed the gathering, expressed sincere appreciation to the government, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the ADB Bank for their support through the marathon journey.
She promised the judicious use of the award to entice more women and youth in agriculture.
