Ga South marks Farmers’ Day
Security Agencies in the Ga South Municipality have been called upon to deal with illegal and indiscriminate sand winning in the area.
Farmers in the area have also been urged to report promptly to the appropriate security agencies, any damage to their farms by sand winners, for the necessary action to be taken.
Mr Joseph Nyarni Stephen, Municipal Chief Executive of Ga South Municipal Assembly said these at the 35th National Farmers’ Day celebration on the theme, “Enhancing Small Scale Agriculture towards Agribusiness Development” last Friday at Negleshie Amanfrom of the Ga South Municipality.
In all, 12 distinguished farmers were awarded with farming and fishing gears, which included, mattresses, wellington boots, cutlasses, agro chemicals, bicycles, fishing nets and fridges.
The overall best farmer award went to Mr Philip Gyaba from Kplandy at Kyerewere, in the Ga South Municipality. He received a motor cycle, wellington boots, mattress, agro chemicals, among others.
The Chief Executive said one of the issues affecting agriculture in the municipality was illegal sand winning, and therefore, the assembly through the Municipal Security Council (MUSCC) had formed a taskforce to deal with those sand winners.
He warned that, any sand winning contractor found to have destroyed any agriculture field would be made to bear the full cost of the produce, and those who continued to break the law would be processed for court.
Mr Nyarni said next year, the assembly would support 100 farmers with 6,000 coconut seedlings, under the Planting for Export and Rural Development Programme, and also support the local poultry industry with the provision of cockerels.
He called on the farmers and other actors in the agriculture value chain within the municipality to take advantage of the government flagship programmes to improve their standard of living and their general wellbeing.
On her part, Miss Dorinda Akpene Agar, Ga South Municipal Director of Agriculture said, “the farmers are the engine of growth and transformers of our private sector development and actual boosters of our economy. “
She said there was the need to build the capacities of the farmers based on organisations in the various stages of the agriculture value chain, and instill climate smart activities in order to make it attractive to the youth, people living with disabilities and women.
Miss Agar said the department would start snail farming and aquaculture productions as well as control world carbon emission and the consistent erratic rainfalls that led to floods and droughts in the area.
“We also have plans to plant 2,000 fruit trees in the 2,000 households in 2020 next year,” she said.
From: Daniel Amoo, Ngleshie Amanfro
