Rewarding Ghanaian farmers for their good work in agriculture

Dec 18th, 2011 9:00 AM UTC
By Guest Blogger

Agriculture Griot Ofosu Asamoah talks about National Farmers Day, Ghana’s national holiday which commemorates the agriculture sector, an important part of the country’s economy.

Ignatius Agbo national best farmer receiving his awards from vice president John Mahama

Every year, on the first Friday of December, Ghanaians celebrate National Farmers Day in honor of the gallant farmers who feed the growing population and contributing to the nation’s GDP.

This year’s Farmers Day was centered around growing more food and promoting research for sustainable agriculture development. The event was held at Agona Nsaba in the Central Region of Ghana.

A search committee made up of members from the University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana and other organizations were dispatched to look for this year’s Ghana Best Farmer. It took them 63 days to submit their report to the chairman of the planning committee for National Farmers’ Day celebration.

Out of the 66 contestants, Ignatius Agbo emerged as the 2011 Ghana National Best farmer. He has a farm size of 480 acres, which includes 160 acres of cocoa, 12 acres of oil palm, 15 acres of citrus, 15 acres of plantain, 2 acres of cowpeas, 1 acre of sweet potatoes, 5 acres of cassava, 2 acres of coconut, and vegetables, together with his livestock occupying about 50 acres.

Agbo took home a three-bedroom, fully furnished house to be built at a location of his choice, a generator, laptop and fully loaded modem, and a trip to India. He was the central regional Best Farmer for 2002 and 2005 respectively. Ignatius Abgo called on the government to walk the talk and provide farmers with the needed resources for accelerated growth.

Vice president John Mahama said that the government is committed to make agriculture a key sector of the economy in spite of oil discovery.

The second national Best Farmer is Assemblyman Daniel Ankoma Mends, 39, from the Assin South District of the Central Region. He took home a tractor with implements and insurance coverage for a year.

Philip Kwaku Agyemang, 44, from the Brong Aharfo region came third, and was rewarded with a double-cab pickup truck and a year’s insurance coverage.

The National Best Fisherman went to Agya Kwesi, 39, and National Best Livestock farmer went to Joseph Boney, 70.

Among those rewarded was a disabled woman farmer — she has proved to the world that disability is not inability and that the future of food security lies in the hands of women farmers.

We congratulate you farmers of Ghana, AYEKOO!!!

-Ofosu Asamoah

TAGS: Agriculture, Ghana, ONE