The National Farmers’ Day is celebrated on the first Friday of December each year to reward deserving farmers and also to recognize their immense contribution to the economic development of the country. The 39th edition of the National Farmers’ Day celebration was thus observed by the Kwadaso Municipal Assembly on Friday 1st December, 2023 at the Atwima Dechemuoso M/A school park on the theme “Delivering Smart Solution for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience”.
Gracing the occasion was the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso Constituency, Prof. Kinsley Nyarko, the Presiding Member of the Assembly, Hon. Samuel Kwaku Gyasi, Municipal Agric Director, Mrs. Mavis Agyeiwaa Yeboah, Traditional Authorities, Hon. Assembly Members, members of the Municipal Security Council, the Clergy, Imams, award winners and Heads of Departments. Others included, past award winners, farmers in the Municipality, NPP party faithfuls, the media and a cross section of the general public.A 29-year-old farmer from Tanoso, Mr. Joseph Atintaligah, was adjudged the overall Municipal Best Farmer. For his prize, Mr. Atintalaligah took home a tricycle, led television set, knapsack sprayer, machetes, weedicides, wellington boots and others. Other awards that were presented to deserving farmers in various categories included, Best Aquaculture Farmer, Best Poultry Farmer, Best Crop Farmer, Best Female Farmer, Best Small Ruminant Farmer, Best Physically Challenge Farmer, Best Traditional Farmer and the Best Youth Farmer. The winners received prizes ranging from refrigerator, led television sets, pumping machine, knapsack sprayers, certificates and other farm inputs to support their farming activities.In her welcoming address, the Municipal Agric Director, Mrs. Mavis Agyeiwaa Yeboah congratulated all the farmers in the Municipality for their immense contribution to the development of the agriculture sector in the municipality. She encouraged them to adopt modern farming practices and technologies to increase their yields and income. Mrs. Yeboah reiterated that, her outfit will continue to support farmers and stated that, there are a lot of opportunities for anyone who wishes to enter into agriculture. On his part, the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Richmond Agyenim-Boateng in a speech read on his behalf by the Presiding Member of the Assembly, Hon. Samuel Kwaku Gyasi, welcomed all farmers and praised them for their continues contribution to the agricultural sector and also ensuring food security in the Municipality and Ghana as a whole. He then appealed to the people to respect farmers as they are the backbone of the country’s economy. The MCE disclosed that, the municipality being an urban assembly was losing many farmlands because of human settlement. He said the assembly had put measures in place to involve the youth in agriculture which include, Green House Farming, distribution of Ten thousand coconut seedlings and rabbit rearing among others.The MCE congratulated all the award winners but was quick to acknowledged challenges facing them which he said include, financial constraints, post-harvest losses, inadequate storage facilities and problem of ready market for harvested produce. The Member of Parliament for the Kwadaso Constituency, Professor Kinsley Nyarko, on his part urged the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to create a ready market for local farmers to motivate them so as to sustain food security and affordability. According to the MP, when the local farmers are given the needed support, in terms of interest free loans, provision of storage facilities and provision of farm machinery, they would produce more for export and earn the country foreign exchange which will improve economic growth.“To ensure food security and affordability, we must support and motivate our farmers to prevent hunger” he said.
The MP presented cash prizes to all the award winners in the Municipality. The chief of Atwima Dechemuoso, Nana Okokuro Panin III commended all the farmers for ensuring that we always get food to eat. He also thanked the Hon. MP, the MCE and the Assembly member for ensuring that, Atwima Dechemuoso has also witnessed such a memorable occasion.
