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AGRICULTURE

Paul Tawiah is Atebubu-Amantin Municipal best farmer

Forty-three year old Junior High School graduate, Paul Akwasi Tawiah from Patuda emerged the best farmer for Atebubu-Amantin at this year’s municipal best farmer awards held in Atebubu.

Date Created : 12/5/2022 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Daniel Oduro-Stewart/Ghanadistricts.com

With 8 years of farming experience the winner has 85 acres of maize, 15 acres of mangoes, 10 acres each of yam, cowpea, groundnuts and cashew as well as 3 acres of rice.

He also keeps 65 cattle, 8 goats, 4 sheep, 15 local fowls and 25 guinea fowls.

For his prize, Tawiah took home 1 tricycle, 1 full piece wax print, 2 pairs of wellington boots, 2 cutlasses, 2 knapsack sprayers, 1 radio set, 2 bars of key soap, 5 liters of weedicides, a bag of fertilizer and a certificate.

Addressing the gathering, which also marked the Bono East regional celebration of the same event, the regional director of agriculture Mrs. Cecelia Kagya Agyemang said agriculture in the region has undergone a lot of improvement as a result of the ‘planting for food and jobs’ initiative by government.

She noted that the production of crops like cassava, maize, rice, beans, yam and soya beans among others have increased as a result of the provision of fertilizers, chemicals and improved seeds under PFJ.

She underscored the importance of industry in adding value to farm produce and urged all to venture into cottage industry to help reduce post-harvest losses and increase incomes of farmers.

Earlier in a welcome address, the Atebubu-Amantin municipal chief executive Hon. Edward Owusu said the theme for the event ‘agricultural development through value addition’ could not have come at a better time considering the current global economic challenges which require pragmatic measures to ensure agricultural sustainability and food security.

“Value addition coupled with improved packaging leads to a diverse range of products that appeal to larger markets, enhances storage time thus reducing post-harvest waste leading to significant increase in incomes for farmers and processors as well as ensuring food safety and security”, he indicated.

The MCE said it is in line with this objective that government through the Ghana Agricultural Sector Improvement Programme GASIP and Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana MAG under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has over the years organized a series of training programmes for groups and individual farmers in the area of value addition.

Awards were presented in 9 categories including crop, livestock, youth, female, physically challenged, value addition, agricultural extension and farmer based organization.

Winners received certificates and assorted items including farm implements, water pumping machines, refrigerators and motor bikes among others.