Ayawas East Municipal Assembly (AEMA) has commended the farmers in the area for working hard to produce various food items to feed the municipality.
The 36th National Farmers’ Day celebration and 2nd Edition of the municipality celebrated at the Kawokudi Park, AEMA awarded seven (7) best farmers of which one emerged overall best farmer.
The Hon Municipal Chief Executive for AEMA, Hajia Selma Dani Mohammed Adams-Kuta indicated Ghana government has propelled the agriculture sector to attain national food self-sufficiency through the planting for food and jobs.
She hinted that available information show rice production would record an increase of about 1.3 million metric tonnes, soya bean 2.2 million metric tonnes, sorghum 1.6 million metric tonnes and maize, 3.8 million metric tonnes respectively.
Prior to awarding the overall best farmer, Hajia Selma Sani-Kuta said there would be more demand for food and in future hence the need to enhance agricultural development.
She also hinted the Assembly has introduced programmes to support the government planting for food and jobs policies on the limited farm lands for agricultural activities in the area.
The Farmer’s Day was instituted in 1985 in recognition of the important role played by farmers to salvage the Ghanaian economy in 1983, especially after the 1982 and 1983 national famine. “The survival of any society to a larger extent depends on farmers as they produce food and fiber that nourish and clothe the people”, she noted.
She said, the theme chosen for this year’s celebration: ” ENSURING AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT UNDER COVID-19 OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES,” is very appropriate in that it was chosen to re-emphasize the importance of maintaining agribusiness development in the wake of the COVID -19 pandemic.
Hajia Selma Sani-Kuta indicated that the agriculture sector sustains more than half of Ghana’s labour force, mostly as smallholders cultivate their own plots of land with their families. “Agriculture makes up 54% of Ghana’s GDP, and over 40% of export earnings”, she posited.
Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly, AEMA celebrates the event along with health screening. The Hon. MCE, Hajia Selma Sani-Kuta urged the participants to take advantage of the exercise and go for the screening since is one of the surest ways a person to know his/her HIV status to inform ones behavioural pattern.
Bernard Larkai emerged as the overall 2020 best farmer 2nd edition of the Ayawaso East Municipality.
According to him, he wants to use the honour done him to encourage young farmers to take up farming activities seriously to help in the production of crops and rearing of livestock farm for consumption.
This recognition fits and could characterized any of the youth-farmers as I have been honoured, he said.
Addressing the gathering, he said, “hard work pays” and “half work done deserves no pay”. Mr. Larkai stated farming needs some kinds of dedication and sacrifice to realise good results.
“….the pain to yield good results, makes it difficult for most of the youth to practice this culture of farming”, the overall AEMA best farmer lamented.
Other awardees were; Mudalib Swami, best livestock farmer; Isaac Teye Tettey, best crop farmer; Sharon Rachel Cobbina Brown, best Youth farmer; Rita Ahadzi Gbewonyo, best woman farmer; Alexander Ansong Gyemfi, best Shric Extension Agent and first runner-up was Osman Issah.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
