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AGRICULTURE

Jomoro District honours 26 outstanding farmers

Some twenty-six (26) outstanding farmers were on Friday December 1, 2017 presented with awards at the 33rd National Farmers' Day at Mpataba in the Jomoro District of the Western Region with Mr. John Kwasi Adingrah of Nvenlenu emerging as the overall District Best Farmer.

Date Created : 12/6/2017 8:20:11 AM : Story Author : Modern Ghana

Mr. Kwasi Adingrah, was presented with a certificate, a T-shirt, a wellington boot, a shoe, eight cutlasses, one wall clock, a radio, a chargeable torchlight, six pieces of cloth, and a motorbike.

Mr. Kwasi Adingrah owes 15 acres of mango plantation, 10 acres each of coconut and cocoa plantations, 21 acres of rabbit farming, 3 acres of cassava, 2.5 acres of plantain, 2 acres of pineapple, 1 acre of tea tree.

The rest are, 120 pigs, 4 fish ponds, 300 snails, two grass cutters, and 10 ducks.

Mrs. Agnes Akru Assorkor from Tweakor-Navrongo went home with a certificate, a T-shirt, a wellington boot, a shoe, 8 cutlasses, one wall clock, a radio, a chargeable torchlight, 2 pieces of cloth, and a deed-freezer.

She also owes 780 acres of mahogany trees, 3 acres of cocoyam, half acre of pepper farmer, 120 birds, 34 sheep, and produces gari and has so far employed four permanent workers and six temporal workers.

The Second District Best Runner-Up whose hails from New Ankansah, Mrs. Amina Siedu, also went home with the same items the 1st Runner-up had plus table-top fridge.

Speaking at the event, the District Director of Agriculture, Mr. Kenneth Addae Buadu, said the theme for this year's, "Farming for Food and Jobs" was rightly chosen and urged government to invest more into food business to raise the food security and foreign status of the country.

He disclosed that under the government's flagship "Planting for Food and Jobs" program, total number of 64 farmers had been registered and only one farmer is cultivating rice.

He therefore added that the District has a lot wetlands which cab be used for rice production and appealed to the farmers to venture into rice production.

Mr. Buadu said the "Planting for Food and Jobs" in Jomoro faced a lot of challenges and attributed it to lack of information hence going forward next year, the information would be intensified.

"So far 12 communities are involve in the Planting for Food and Jobs and this is not encouraging", he added.

He thanked the District and Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Paul Essien for the unflinching support given to the Agricultural Department.

He encouraged the award winners to put up their best and win a national award in future.

Mr. Ernest Kofie, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Jomoro expressed his profound gratitude to the farmers in the District, saying despite the many challenges associated with farming, the farmers never ceased to ensure all-year-round food production.

He said agriculture plays a vital role in the transformation of the economy and the nation as a whole and added that besides tourism and oil and gas, agriculture has the potential to totally transform the the nation and make it a prosperous one.

According to him, "Majority of the people can feel a change in their lives when we develop agriculture rapidly... therefore particularly excited that this year's National Farmers Day Celebration is under the theme, " Farming for Food and Jobs", there could not have been a better theme for today's event".

Admittedly, he revealed that the farmers suffered some setbacks, including land disputes, financial difficulties, technical issues and lack of ready markets for farm produce hence these challenges undoubtedly make the agriculture as a profession undesirable and attractive to many people, most especially the youth.

He added that it is in light of these challenges that the NPP government is making frantic effort to modernise and diversity agriculture in Ghana and ensured the farmers and fisher folks that the agriculture sector would be made more attractive, productive and efficient.

Speaking on the NPP government flagship program "Planting for Food and Jobs", he said the program will transform agriculture sector.

He disclosed that the under the program, a total of 8.95 tons of NPN fertilizer and Urea and some vegetable seedlings have been supplied to farmers in the District.

"Over hundred farmers have also been trained and connected to various financial institutions in the District under the program", he added.

He told the gathering that, the government has started implementing a 5-year capacity building project and under the project, extension officers and farmers would be trained for the period, 2017-2021.

He used the occasion to acknowledge the good effort of the Member of Parliament for the area, Hon Paul Essien for providing the award winners with items and also thanked the rural banks in the and District among others.

On his part, the Member of Parliament for the area who doubles as a Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Paul Essien thanked the distinguished farmers for the total contributions they have contributed towards achieving food security in the District and Ghana as a whole.

He therefore urged the teeming youth in the District to involve themselves into agriculture.

"We shouldn't always think of getting white-colour job to do but involving yourself into agriculture will make your life better", he encouraged the youth.

He revealed at the event that, on the December 19, 2017 and as part of his commitment to agriculture sector very lucrative in the District, farmers in the District will be awarded on their hard work.

He also disclosed that, at the end of four years, the overall District Best Farmer would be awarded with a brand new car.

Speaking to Daniel Kaku after the celebration, the overall District Best Farmer, Mr. Kwasi Adingrah, appealed to the youth in the District to initiate farming ventures to help increase food production and also earn a decent living.

It was revealed at the event that, the Member of Parliament donated Apsonic motorbike, deep freezer, table-top fridge, sewing machine, Nasco Digital TV with Dish among others to the three District Best Farmers.

Source: Daniel Kaku