A thirty-five-year old police officer has been adjudged the Best Farmer for the Suame Municipality in the Ashanti Region during the 37th Farmers’ Day celebration, which was held over the week-end.
D/Insp Festus Ahimah, an officer of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Bohyen District Police Command, in the Suame Municipality, had fifteen cows, fourteen sheep, fifty chickens, five ducks, and 5,000 cat fish among others.
Some of the prizes he took home were a motorbike, farming implements, a knapsack sprayer, and a certificate among others.
Other awardees who were acknowledged at the event were Benjamen Osei Bonsu, who emerged Best Maize Farmer, while the Best Physically-Challenged Farmer went to Georgina Boakye. Baffour Adu Gyamfi was the Best Poultry Farmer, whilst Rose Dankwa took the Best Fish Farmer. Theresa Senya was the Best Vegetable Farmer and Daniel Eric Manu Best Grasscutter Farmer.
Among some of the farm produce which were paraded at the event grounds were plantain, cassava, cows, tomatoes, eggs, cocoa, garden eggs, onions, lettuce, shallots, corn dough, ducks, and fish.
Addressing the event, which was under the theme: ‘Planting for Food and Jobs – Consolidating Food Systems in Ghana’ the Chief Executive of Suame Municipal Assembly, Mr. Maxwell Ofosu-Boakye, expressed appreciation to all farmers within the Municipality, and urged the youth to take advantage of the agricultural policies the government had rolled out, citing the theme as a major agricultural policy which seeks to change the face of farming.
Ofosu-Boakye announced at the event, which was held at the Anomangye School park, that in an attempt to make agricultural attractive to Ghanaians, the government had introduced five modules of agriculture, namely, Food Crops, Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), Greenhouse Technology Villages, Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ), and Agricultural Mechanisation Services (AMSECs).
He also added tree crop planting as another long term venture which is quite lucrative and should not be taken for granted.
According to Ofosu-Boakye, the people of Suame could use their backyards for farming in order to reap the benefits of the PFJ.
Maxwell Ofosu-Boakye appealed to the traditional leaders to make available lands along river banks and streams to the assembly for rice farming.
The Municipal Agriculture Director of Suame, Mr. Alfred Osei, appealed to women to take up farming and not shy away from coming to the assembly for assistance.
D/Insp Festus Ahimah, the Overall Best Farmer, thanked God for the award, and expressed appreciation to the Assembly for acknowledging his efforts.
