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AGRICULTURE

Kwabre East District honours farmers

A 32 year old farmer at Baamang in the Kwabre East District has been adjudged the best farmer in the district for the year 2017.

Date Created : 11/30/2017 5:27:29 AM : Story Author : Francis Andoh/Ghanadistricts.com

Collins Korang who has been into farming for the past four years has a 6 acre cassava farm; 5 acre ginger farm; and 2 acre plantain farm. He also has 27 pigs, 700 pieces of tilapia and 1500 mudfish.

For his prize, he received a motor truck (aboboyaa) a spraying machine, a pair of wellington boots, a cutlass and some farming inputs.

The celebration was held at Asonomanso under the chairmanship of Nana Baffour Assumin Gyekye (Asonomansohene), with the theme “Farming for Food and Job”.

Delivering his address, the District Chief Executive for the District, Hon. Nana Osei Asibey Bonsu congratulated the farmers in the district for their relentless and invaluable contribution towards the district and national economy. He therefore urged them to do more of that to save mankind form hunger.

Hon. Asibey Bonsu bemoaned the downward trend of agriculture in the country in the past years acknowledging how instrumental agriculture has contributed to the nation’s economy. He attributed the downward trend to lack of storage facilities, inadequate extension agents, high rate of post-harvest losses, high ageing work force, high prices of farming inputs and equipment, inadequate credit facilities and also unfavourable land tenure system.

He therefore added that the New Patriotic Party government headed by President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo, has resolved these challenges by modernizing agriculture, improving production efficiency, increasing extension officers, subsidizing farm inputs, providing improved farming materials and above all providing employment to the youth in agricultural systems.

Hon. Asibey Bonsu added that the One-District One Dam, One-District One-Factory, One-District One-Warehouse and Planting for Food and Jobs are all means the government seeks to address the downward trend of agriculture in the country. He appealed to all and sundry especially the youths in the district to involve themselves in agriculture and also help government to reduce over importation of food into Ghana from overseas.

For his part, the District Director for Agriculture, Mr. Francis Korletey, also applauded the farmers for their provision of food to the district in the past years.

He revealed that his office as part of the “Planting for food and jobs” policy of the government, received 40 bags of maize, 14 bags of rice, 50 sachets of tomatoes and 10 sachets of pepper for major and minor farming seasons. In addition, 2400 bags of NPK fertilizers and 900 bags of Urea fertilizers were also supplied.

He was however, not enthused that less than 100 farmers in the district have benefited from the programme. He therefore called on farmers in the district to take advantage and increase their production.

Nana Assuming Gyekye (Asonomansohene), MP- Hon. Francisca Oteng Mensah,and DCE- Hon. Nana Osei Asibey Bonsu

Mr. Korletey added that the farmers will only bore 50% of the inputs cost whilst the government will bore the remaining 50%. Farmers will thus pay 25% of their 50% and take delivery of their inputs. He appealed to the farmers who have taken delivery of their inputs already to repay their remaining 25% to enable more farmers to enjoy the programme.

Mr. Collins Korang, the district best farmer for 2017, in his speech also thanked the government and Agriculture officers in the district for their relentless support to their activities over the years. He promised to give off his best and increase production to win higher laurels.

Nana Assuming Gyekye (Asonomansohene)

The 1st runner up was Isaac Bonsu from Mamponteng and Abraham Narh from Bosore was also adjudged the 2nd runner up.

Also present at the function was the Member of Parliament for the constituency, Hon. Francisca Oteng Mensah who also applauded the farmers and urged more youth to go into farming negating the mindset that farming is a preserve of the uneducated or the older generation.

Farmers from all the communities in the district brought their wares to showcase to the general public.