Yaw Konteng named best farmer in La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipality
A 38-year-old driver of the Pantang Hospital, Mr Eric Yaw Konteng, was adjudged the overall best municipal farmer for the La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipality in the Greater Accra Region at the just-ended Farmers’ Day celebration.
Mr Konteng received a chest freezer, a pumping machine, knapsack sprayers, gloves, goggles, weedicides, cutlasses, fertilisers, tuna flakes, wax prints, agro-products and agro-chemicals.
The La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mrs Jennifer Dede Adjabeng, speaking at the ceremony commended the winners and the Department of Agriculture for their efforts despite the limited land space for farming.
According to her, the time has come to harness the power of innovation and technology through smart farming to make the country self-sufficient in food production.
She stated that the Planting for Food and Jobs phase two would accelerate government’s efforts towards modernising and increasing competitiveness in the agriculture sector.
Mrs Adjabeng commended the Canadian government for funding the Modernising agriculture in Ghana programme which has greatly contributed to the growth of the agricultural sector in the municipality.
Meanwhile, 49-year-old crop and fish farmer, Alidu Ayoba, at Dzorwulu emerged the overall Best Municipal Farmer from the Ayawaso West Municipality.
He has to his credit crops such as lettuce, cucumber, cabbage, pepper, spring onion, maize, okra, parsley.
He also has 750 catfish and tilapia, poultry, sheep, goats and cattle.
Mr Ayoba was presented with a tricycle, knapsack sprayers, Wellington boots, wax prints, cutlasses, a television set and canned fish, agro-chemicals and bags of fertiliser.
Six other awardees also received deep freezers, double door refrigerators, wheel barrows, shovels, knapsack sprayers, agro-products and agro-chemicals.
The MCE, Ms Sandra Owusu-Ahenkrah, speaking at the ceremony commended the farmers for contributing towards food security in the country.
She said the assembly has acquired large tracts of land for tilapia and catfish production and urged the residents to avail themselves for the opportunity.
The MCE stated that the assembly would train more farmers on modern methods of farming as well as also begin micro gardens in schools in the area to serve as education tools towards nurturing the youth to take up agriculture as a business.
The occasion was also used to offer free HIV/AIDS screening as part of activities marking this year’s World AIDS Day.
Forty-seven-year-old Daniel Adjei from the Adentan Municipality was adjudged the overall best farmer.
Mr Adjei who is the project manager of Regimanuel Gray Company Limited received a tricycle, Wellington boots, wheel barrows, shovels, agro-chemicals and products, tinned fish, knapsack sprayers and cutlasses.
The MCE, Daniel Alexander Nii-Noi Adumah, commended the winners and other farmers for their relentless efforts that ensured food security for the country.
He said the time had come to adapt smart solution to assist farmers innovate and improve upon agriculture production in order to surmount threats posed by climate changes.
On agricultural activities in the area, Nii-Noi Adumuah said 243 households were empowered to start backyard and container gardening to produce fresh vegetables, raise chickens for eggs, grow mushrooms as well as catfish farming.
BY LAWRENCE
VOMAFA-AKPALU
