Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly honours twenty-five farmers
By Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA
Accra, Nov. 7, GNA-The Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly has honoured twenty-five farmers for their hard work towards the socio-economic development of the country.
A 50-year-old farmer at Wassa Akyim, Mr Abdul-Karim Yusuf was adjudged the Municipal best farmer for this year.
He received a tricycle, television set, three knapsack sprayers, full piece of wax print, two shovels, six machetes, four pairs of wellington boots, three plastic chairs, 10 litres of liquid fertilizers, four bottles of weedicides, la-coste shirt, raincoat and motorbike.
Madam Jariatua Amidu, a 42-year-old farmer, from Boama won the best female category.
She took home a tricycle, sewing machine, full piece of wax print, knapsack sprayer, wheel barrow, plastic chairs two pairs of wellington boots, five liquid fertilizers, four machetes, shovel, raincoat, la-coste shirt, three bottles of weedicides and a basin as her prize.
The second runner up, Mr Ransford Agyapong Wiredu, 32, at Akyem went home with a tricycle, plastic chairs, weedicides, shovels, four liquid fertilizers, wax print and two pairs of wellington boots.
Mr Fredoline Kudjoe Agawu, 56, of Tarkwa also won the best Municipal Agric Extension officer and had a washing machine, full piece of wax print, four machetes, three pairs of wellington boots, two plastic chairs, weedicides, rain coat, insecticides and a la coste T-shirt as his prize.
Best crop farmer went to Mr Kofi Badu, Mr Kojo Manu, best cocoa farmer, Mr Issaka Moro, best oil palm farmer, Mr Francis Evans Yorke, best maize farmer, Madam Esther Sam, best rice farmer, Mr Henry Opare, best vegetable farmer and Madam Amamata Musah, best-aged farmer.
The rest were; Mr Joseph Abban-Mensah, best non-traditional farmer, Mr Yahaya Zibrim, best ruminant farmer, Mr Barnabas Abruquah, best livestock farmer, Mr Gershon Sakpo, best poultry farmer, Mr Albert Gyassah, best piggery farmer, Madam Elizabeth Eshun, best Acqua-culture farmer, Madam Elizabeth Biajo, best backyard farmer and Teberebie Cooperative Vegetation farmer group, had the best Farmer Based Organization award.
Wassa -Jukwa Mile 5 Basic school, was adjudged the best first cycle school, best cocoa extension agent went to Mr Christian Kwesi Lumorvi, Madam Esi Tawiah, best plantain farmer, madam Ama Arthur and Mr Job Aformanor won the best national and municipal best rubber farmers respectively.
The 36th edition of the farmers’ day celebration was held at Wassa Akyim on the theme: « Ensuring agri-business development in COVID-19 opportunities and challenges ».
Speaking at the function, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Benjamin Kessie said agriculture engaged 33 percent of employment rate in the Tarkwa-Nsueam Municipality and its also contributed to 38 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This, he said, was why the NPP government led by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has put in place diversification of oriented large scale agriculture enterprises in the Municipality including tree crops such as cocoa, oil palm, cocoa nut depending on their geographical area of farming.
« In the area of rearing for foods and jobs, 55 farmers have been registered for pig production for the credit-in-kind system. Each farmer is expected to get five pigs: one male and four female » he added.
Mr Kessie noted that the Assembly had lobbied to be part of the current government’s special project, which would supervise the distribution of 10 birds to each household in some selected districts.
He urged farmers who were interested in the project to register with the Municipal Agricultural Department as it would commence on November 10, 2020.
The Member of Parliament of Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency, Mr George Mireku Duker, said under the 1D1F programme, an oil palm factory was being constructed at Dompim.
He encouraged the citizenry to take advantage of the programme and go into oil palm plantation, so they could provide the raw materials for the factory to function and earn more income.
Mr Duker said the government would continue to invest in the agricultural sector to make it attractive for Ghanaians.
The Municipal Director of Agriculture, Nana Bayin Acquah Thompson, congratulated farmers for working hard to feed Ghanaians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Abdul-Karim Yusuf, the overall best farmer, on behalf of the other award winners, expressed their appreciation to the government for instituting the awards.
