Ghana: government rewards best 2009 farmers

Edward Kwame Aklade, VoicesofAfrica mobile reporter in Accra, Ghana (29 December 2009) Farmers in the Ga-West Municipal Assembly have been awarded meritoriously for their hard work for producing and sustaining food in our homes and markets. The 25th municipal farmers day celebration was held at Adjen Kotoku located in the Ga-West Municipality in the Greater Accra Region. The theme for the occasion was 'Accelerated Agricultural Modernization for food Security and Economic Transformation'. Among those awarded were Mr. Edward Obiow, the best poultry farmer as well as Mr.Philip Ameko the best local rice farmer respectively. The two were thankful to government and the organizers for instituting the program to award hardworking farmers. Among the items given to the best farmers are wire mesh, wheelbarrows, cutlasses, watering can, farmers boots as well as other items required in the farming industry to motivate them and to boost the morale of other farmers to work harder. The Ga-West Municipal Chief Executive, honorable Ebenezer Nii-Armah Tackie during his keynote address touched on five thematic areas that included: 1. The youth in agriculture 2. Fertilizer Subsidy 3. Registration of farmers 4. Farm mechanization 5. Construction and rehabilitation of major feeder roads. The municipal chief executive said that the youth in agriculture project was in cormfomity with the government's policies to get the youth drawn in to agriculture and to do it as business 'the youth are already being organised in blocks farming in the district' he added. On the fertilizer subsidy by government, he said the main intent was to give relief to farmers as government has absorbed almost half of the prices of the fertilizers. On farm mechanization, the municipal chief executive added without hesitation that government is giving out tractors on hire purchase after paying half of the cost price. 'There are tractors which render ploughing and carting services to famers at affordable cost' , Mr. Abednego Amoah the assembly member for Adjen Kotoku and the host of the programme explained in an interview how he had to pay out sleepless night with his co-workers to make the programme a successful one. The national farmers day celebration was held at tamale in the northern region of Ghana.