The awardees took home table–top refrigerator, water barrel, weedicide, wheel barrow, a half piece cloth, bicycle, tricycle, roofing sheet and a pair of wellington boot.

These year’s National Farmers Day which was under the theme; “Agriculture; a Business Response to Economic Growth”, is in the right direction at a time the when the government is showing great interest for improving the quality of life of Ghanaians, especially the rural and urban poor through productive and remunerative employment, better access to inputs and an equitable distribution of income and wealth.

The celebration organized by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in collaboration with the Municipal Assembly at Osabene, a suburb of Koforidua saw the gallant farming farmers displaying their farm produce in respective of the occasion.

The overall best farmer went to a 38 year old man, Kwame Isaac, a resident of Asikasu, whiles the female best farmer went to Naomi Asabea, and the Youth Best Farmer went to Gagli Geoffery.

In his address the Municipal Chief Executive; Mr. Kwabena Okyere Kusi urged farmers that the Private Sector-Led pro-poor agriculture value chain is being developed through the Ghana Agriculture Sector Investment Programme (GASSIP) which is being implemented by MOFA. 

He added that GASSIP is expected to directly benefit from Farmer Based Organizations (FBO) who would be involved in the implementation and receive support to be integrated into formalized value chains.

“FBO’s would be linked to domestic and export markets, agro-industries, input suppliers and at least 150 participating financial  institutions or their branches and the linkages would be established through agro-business arrangements with an estimated large group of farmers to benefit” he said.

The Municipal Chief Executive added that the Interventions aim at opening up the agriculture sector to modern farming techniques and practices as well as a business culture and technology adoptions so as to make Ghana’s Agriculture and farming more competitive in the global context.

To make farmers competitive, Farmers Based Organizations has to be strengthened to increase productivity, production and income for better farm livelihoods.

The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive informed the public that the agriculture sector, according to the Ghana Living Standards Survey 6,  currently provides employment for about 44.7% percent of the total workforce in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy.

He also mentioned some investment areas in the sector which includes provision of agricultural inputs such as improved seeds and agro chemicals; processing dairy products supply of machinery to establish hatcheries for day old chicks, agro-processing industry to add value and reduce post harvest losses and developing irrigable land through modern irrigation processes and technologies.

The Municipal Director for Agriculture, Mr. Kofi Amoako Tweneboah, also noted the National Farmers Day Award was instituted in the year 1985 to honour farmers and fishermen in recognition of their positive response to the government’s call for increased food production following the poor agricultural yields in 1982 and 1983 which was caused by an unprecedented incidence of bushfire in the country.

The Krontihene of New Juaben Traditional Area; Nana Baffour Nyantakyi Tutu Boateng commended the award winners for their support in to the economic growth and urged the youth to involve themselves in agriculture in order to development the country.

He further urged policy makers to continue to find better ways of creating and integrated link between agriculture and industry to enhance the country’s capacity to concentrate on activities that are most viable to ensure a self-sustaining economic growth.

Nana Baffour Nyantakyi Tutu Boateng said for agriculture to serve as business response to economic growth, it is important that agricultural development is not undertaken in isolation but must be uniquely linked with other sectors of the economy, particularly industry.   

The Municipal Best Farmer’s in his acceptance speech urged the youth to involve themselves in farming to help produce more food and raise income for the country.