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AGRICULTURE

Ga West Assembly holds farmers day celebration

The Department of Agriculture of the Ga West Municipality is currently undertaking biometric registration of farmers and fisher folks to create a data base for planning and policy formulation for the agric sector.

Date Created : 12/7/2018 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Alex Ofori Agyekum/Ghanadistricts.com

Mr Clement Nii Lamptey Wilkinson, the Ga West Municipal Chief Executive, made this known in a speech at the Farmers Day and Awards ceremony held at Nsakina in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

The celebration was held under the theme: Agriculture Moving Ghana Beyond Aid.

Mr Wilkinson said the registration would help capture the commodity size of farms, location and bio-data of farmers to plan for inputs like fertilizers amongst others.

He said with the dwindling size of arable lands due to the pressure of urbanization and degradation of lands by activities like sand winning, there is the need for farmers to engage the agricultural staff to improve their farming practices to produce more.

He said the government recognizes the efforts of farmers and fisher folks, who produce food, raw materials for agro-industries and provide employment opportunities for many people, hence the award to motive and encourage them to increase their production to support the economy.

Mr Wilkinson expressed gratitude to the farmers and urged them not to rest on their oars since government and by extension the Assembly is committed to providing them the necessary inputs to assist in their activities.

Mr Patrick Annam, the Director of Agriculture for GA West and Ga North Municipalities, said the Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Health of the Assemblies in collaboration with the Institute for Environmental and Sanitation Studies of the University of Ghana, have begun a project to utilize organic waste, agro-industrial bi-products, crop residues and livestock fecal materials to produce compost to be used as fertilizer.

I will encourage the private sector to invest in this project.

It will help take out the organic waste and crop residues that are generated at the markets. It will also offer the opportunity to collect organic waste from household thereby creating an avenue for organic fertilizer, which is better than the inorganic fertilizers,he said.

Nii Odartey III, the Chief of Nsakina, who chaired the function, commended the Ga West and North Municipal Assemblies for the successful organization of the event and appealed to government to tar the roads in the two municipalities.

Mr Samuel Baidoo from Mempemehoasem in the GA West Municipality was adjudged the Best Farmer of the area. He appealed to government to supply farmer’s agricultural materials to enable them to increase food production and urged students to take agriculture subject serious in school.