Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, has tasked chiefs to emulate the shining example of Nana Otuo Serebour, the Juabenhene by leaving the comfort of their palaces and going into farming, towards achieving food security.
This, he said, would inspire their subjects and the youth to engage in agriculture as a business and source of livelihood because farming has the potential to develop the country, noting that the solution to the current economic situation in the country is through farming and agriculture.
According to the Asantehene, every stool has land for farming, yet Nananom have abandoned farming and chosen to live in Kumasi and other cities and see themselves as chiefs at their palaces. Otumfuo made the recommendations when Nana Otuo Serebour, the Asante
Juabenhene, a renowned industrialist and farmer led his son, Nana Yaw Sarpong Serebour, who emerged the National Best Farmer at the 2022 celebration of Farmers Day, to present his award to the Asantehene.
The King commended the Juabenhene for inspiring his son, an engineer by profession, to venture into agriculture for over twenty years. He urged the chiefs to emulate the example of the Juabenhene, who is also the chairman of the Council of State and his son, and help rescue
the nation from the current economic challenges.
The Asantehene bemoaned the situation where as a country we only rely on cocoa as the only commodity for export to earn US Dollar, and use the same Dollar to import rice and every commodity into the country.
He noted that if Ghanaians venture into agriculture and engage in rice production, there would be relief, in terms of the exchange rate.
He wondered why the youth of today, especially young graduates, always search for white colour jobs which are non-existence, because they want to work in the office.
Nana Yaw Sarpong Serebour, 43, was adjudged the 2022 National Best Farmer at a ceremony in Koforidua, in the Eastern Regional Capital last Friday.
He took home a cash prize of GHC1,000,000 and two nights’ full board complimentary stay at the Peduase Valley Resort.
Nana Yaw, a native of Asante Juaben, with 22 years of experience in farming and has farms across the Ashanti Region which provide employment opportunities to several families in their areas of operation.
He has over 900 acres of Oil palm plantation, 65 acres of cocoa plantation, 36 acres of cowpea, 37 acres of cassava plantation, cattle, sheep and goats.
