More on National Farmers’ Day(2)

Continued from More on National Farmers’ Day(1)

Mr Makubu, however, asked the youth not to relegate farming to the background, as work for only those who did not go to school because deep knowledge in education, would rather improve on agriculture activities in the country, and urged them to try and embrace agriculture instead of looking for non-existing white colour jobs.

Earlier, the Oti Regional Director of Food and Agriculture (FA), Mr Obren Nyarko, called on the youth to take advantage of the numerous opportunities in agriculture to cre­ate wealth for themselves, to improve on their standard of living.

Mr Nyarko said the government’s flagship programme, Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) as well as Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), had made agriculture a more lucrative venture, and the youth needed to be part of the programme, which seemed to be more promising, and made agriculture more attractive. From Gyedu in the Asutifi North District of the Ahafo Region, EM­MANUEL ADU GYAMFI reports that a Teacher from Mim, Mr Frank Kyei Baffour, emerged the regional overall best farmer.

He took home a motor king tricycle (large bucket), Wellington boots, knapsack, soaps and detergents among several farm inputs.

The Ahafo Regional Minister, George Yaw Boakye, commended Newmont Ghana Gold Company Limited (NGGL), for supporting the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) in this year’s celebration with a cash donation of GH¢20,000.

He hailed the hard work of the Regional Department of Agriculture for guarding against the smuggling of fertiliser, cocoa and other farm inputs since the creation of the Ahafo Region.

The Ahafo Regional Director, Depart­ment of Food and Agriculture, Kingsford Nyame, congratulated farmers and fishers in the area for their tireless effort to make the region the food basket of Ghana.

He said though, the supply of subsidised fertiliser under the PFJ was in shortage, farmers in the region had good rains which resulted in enough food production.

At the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly, 39 –year –old Carlos Selassie Yaotsea catfish, snail and local birds farmer was adjudged the best municipal farmer and for his prize, he took home a tricycle, water tank wheelbarrow and other farming implements.

The municipal best farmer is secretary to the Plantpool Vegetable Farmers Associa­tion as he is also into vegetable farming.

The MCE, Alhaji Mohammed Quaye in an address called on all well-meaning citizens to support the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative by government to help produce and add value to our agricultural products.

He urged Ghanaians to consume more of what is produced in Ghana to improve our economic well-being as a country.

Adding, despite the municipality not being a traditional farming community due to insufficient land, the assembly still supports residents, especially the youth to venture into backyard farming, vertical farming, container gardening, livestock and poultry farming and the rearing of rab­bit and grass cutter, snail, mushroom and fish farming including agro -processing and value addition to agricultural products.

The Municipal Director of Agriculture Madam Martina Mensah said “if we could locally produce what we eat and consume what we produce and possibly add value to our produce, it will provide greater divi­dends to us.”