The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Upper Manya Krobo Assembly, Joe Sam, has reiterated the government’s quest in investing heavily and rolling out various programmes to ensure the agric sector remained the backbone of the Ghanaian economy.
He said the government would continue to create the enabling environment and put in place the necessary interventions for the rapid growth of the sector.
The Chief Executive was speaking at the 38th National Farmers’ Day celebration at Dawa Korlewa under the theme “Accelerating Agriculture through Value Addition”.
According to him, the district had so far received 78,000 mango and oil palm seedlings, which were distributed to 503 farmers under the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) programme.
He continued that under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, the district had benefited from a significant quantity of improved seeds and fertilisers, which were sold to over 500 farmers at subsidised prices to improve their farms.
Mr. Sam said it was against this backdrop that the district was currently collaborating with the Ghana Buffer Stock Company to provide a ready market for the farmers to minimise post-harvest losses which always characterise bumper harvest.
He encouraged farmers to take advantage of all the interventions in place in the agric sector to produce more in order to supply the requirements of processing industries in the country.
The District Director of the Department of Agriculture, Vladimir Debrah Agyekum, said the department recognising the important roles women played in the agriculture value chain, ensured that they were empowered through training workshops, marketing and value addition.
The department also ensures the free supply of cockerels to the women in poultry production to cross their local breeds so as to increase the market value and their income status.
In all, 12 farmers were rewarded, with a 41 years old Moses Tetteh from Bormase adjudged the District Best Farmer of the Year.
He had been farming for over 18 years, and in 2018 was crowned the District Best Youth in Agriculture. He took home a tricycle, cutlasses, knapsack sprayer, wellington boots, a radio set, a half piece of wax prints, weedicides and a certificate as his prize.
The other award winners include Isaac Nyavor from Mensah Dawa being the Best Physically Challenged Farmer, James Okrah of Sekesua as the Best Livestock Farmer, and Grace Terko Tetteh of Sawa being the Best Woman in Agriculture Development.
