Professor Kingsley Nyarko, the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, in the Ashanti Region, has urged the Ministries of Food and Agriculture and Trade and Industry to protect and create a ready market for local farmers, towards sustainable food security and affordability.
According to him, when the local farmers are given the needed support in terms of affordable interest from the financial institutions and the provision of storage facilities to store their produce in the lean season, they would produce to feed themselves and families and for export to earn foreign exchange for the country and also improves upon its economic growth.
Prof. Nyarko, who made the recommendation at Denkyemuoso in the Kwadaso Municipality, during this year’s Farmers Day celebration, expressed the need to always support farmers and celebrate with them by motivating and encouraging them to ensure food security and sufficiency to prevent hunger.
The MP presented special packages of cash to all the Awards winners in the Municipality.
Mr Samuel Kwaku Gyasi, the Presiding Member (PM) of the assembly, who represented Mr. Richmond AgyenimBoateng, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), stated that farmers are the backbone of the society and urged Ghanaians to respect them.
According to him, farmers always ensure that there is food security and affordability, but cannot overestimate the challenges facing them, which include financial constraints, climate change, post harvest losses and problem of ready market.
He disclosed that, the Kwadaso Municipal Assembly, being an urban Assembly, was losing arable lands for human settlements.
He said the Assembly had put measures in place to improve the local economy by introducing the youth into Green House farming to create job opportunities and also raise about Ten thousand 10,000 coconut seedlings to enhance Planting for Export programme.
Joseph Atintaligah, from Navrongo,  a 29-year-old student of AAMSTEC  was adjudged the Overall Municipal Best Farmer with two acres of Cabbage, two acres of Pepper, one acre of Lettuce, one acre of Garden eggs, an acre of Yam, 200 Sheep, 15goats, ten Rabbits and also trained ten other students  and  employed ten workers.
He received one Tricycle, Key Soap, Radio set, Wellington boots and a piece of cloth.
Mr. Moses AntwiBoasiako was adjudged Best Disability farmer, whilst Mr. Kwaku Bonsu became the Municipal Best Poultry Farmer.
