AGRICULTURE

Adam Musah is municipal overall best farmer for Atebubu Amantin

Thirty-eight year old Adam Musah from New Kokrompe emerged as the Atebubu-Amantin municipal overall best farmer for 2024 at the 40th farmer’s day awards held in Atebubu the municipal capital last Friday.

Date Created : 11/12/2024 : Story Author : Daniel Oduro Stewart/Ghanadistricts.com

The winner who holds a Higher National Diploma in Human Resource Management with 15 years of farming experience has about 400 acres of farmland.

He cultivates 120 acres of maize, 67 acres of cowpea, 50 acres of rice, 30 acres of water melons, 25 acres of neri, 20 acres of mangoes, 10 acres each of cassava, yams and garden eggs, 8 acres of pepper, 7 acres of cashew and 5 acres of coconuts.

He also keeps 45 cattle, 60 sheep, 35 goats, 200 local fowls, 125 guinea fowls, 120 exotic layer birds and 50 ducks.

The winner took home a certificate, a tri-cycle, one half piece wax print, 3 pairs of wellington boots, 3 knapsack sprayers, 1 radio set, 4 cutlasses, 3 bars of key soap together with an assortment of agro inputs.

In a welcome address the Atebubu-Amantin municipal director of the Department of Agriculture, Mr. Bright Atta Boateng made reference to the theme of the celebration ‘Building Climate-Resilient Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security’ and said this underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions to address the impact of climate change on agriculture.

“Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, drought, flooding, pest infestation and increased frequency of extreme weather events threaten crop yields, livestock productivity and food availability” he added.

Mr. Boateng said to address the above challenges there is the need to adopt climate smart agricultural practices like crop rotation and the planting of early maturing, drought tolerant and high yielding crop varieties.

He said it has become important to invest in irrigation systems, encourage water harvesting, promote organic farming and agroforestry, develop and make available climate-resilient crop varieties as well as enhance farmers' access to weather information and insurance.

The Atebubu-Amantin municipal Coordinating Director Mr. Joseph K.B Tang who read a speech on behalf of the Bono East regional minister Hon. Kwasi Adu-Gyan who also doubles as the acting Municipal Chief Executive for Atebubu-Amantin said the theme of the celebration reflects the impact of climate change on agriculture and its consequences for food security.

“Food insecurity has been a long existing developmental challenge for the continent of Africa. It has become further complicated because it is interwoven with social, economic, technological, political and environmental systems which serve as aggravating factors for the growing incontestable effects of climate change” he indicated.

Mr. Tang said food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food for their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life adding that it is in this regard that the current government introduced the Climate-Smart Agricultural Investment Plan to help identify interventions that will help the agricultural sector to better adapt to climate change.

Faustina Amoakoa and Dauda Muniru emerged as best crop and livestock farmers respectively and took hope one double door fridge and a television set each together with a number of farming inputs whiles Mr. Phillip Deku who adjudged the best agriculture extension agent received a brand new laptop computer together with other assorted items.

The function which was chaired by Nana Kwabena Kyere III Adontenhene of the Atebubu traditional area was graced by a delegation of chiefs from the Amantin traditional area.