Farmers’ day is an annual observance in various MMDAs to celebrate the national contribution of Farmers and other agricultural activities, in Ghana it was first observed in 1984 after the famine in 1983 to serve as an extrinsic motivation to our Galant farmers to boost their interest in Agriculture.
On Friday 2nd December 2022 the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council in collaboration with Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Assembly held their celebration under the theme “ACCELERATING AGRICULTURAL
DEVELOPMENT THROUGH VALUE ADDITION” at Samahu in the Prestea huni-valley Municipality, this was in line with the president’s directives to have all regions hold the farmers day celebration in their respective regions instead combining it with the national one to cut down expenditure. A grand durbar with an official opening of an Agriculture fair and an exhibition of raw materials and some processed products climaxed the celebration.
In the welcome address by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Dr. Isaac Dasmani Ph.D. revealed that the government has taken a lot of steps to grow agricultural business in the country to establish agro-processing industries under the ” One District One Factory” initiative across the country. The Municipal has two of these factories completed at Mfantsekrom and huni-valley for Gari and Palm processing respectively, he added. Hon. Tasmania added that the Municipality has registered a total of 3,200 farmers, 117,000 palm seedlings and 18,700 coconut seedlings have been supplied to these farmers. He iterated that the Assembly has procured a brand new grader through Mineral Development Fund (MDF) to help in reshaping the deprived roads leading to farming communities for easy transport of their food structural products, he pledged that the Assembly will continue with their support to the agric sector.
The Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency Hon. Robert Wisdom Cudjo in his address commended the sponsors and the organizers for wonderful arrangements per his experience as Former MCE of the Municipality for good years under the previous government, he again doff his hats to the farmers for their continued efforts to provide food to the citizens through this global economic hardship, he promised to work hard as an MP to put the government on his toes and help channel all their grievances to the central government as expected of him. I questioned the minister of agric on the floor of parliament to give answers as to why fertilizers were not provided to farmers on time this year, he said. He asks the minister and the Director of the agric to stick to the theme for this year’s farmers day celebration “ACCELERATING AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH VALUE ADDITION” to support the Farmers with all their needs and encourage them to grow more and harvest more in the coming years.
Mr. Patrick Akowuah, the Regional Director of Agric took the opportunity to thank farmers across the Region and the central government for restoring the Regional-level celebration this year, without forgetting the contribution of Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Assembly to the Agriculture Sector. He
again outlines the various activities of the Agric Directorate such as methods of farming, fishing, agro-processing, and another livelihood Agriculture Employment that help to grow the sector. Also, he hinted
at some measures through which the award winners were selected for various categories and called on all farmers to work hard in other to qualify for selection in the coming years, me ma mo ayekooo, he ended.
The Western Regional Minister Hon. Kwabena Okyere Darko – Mensah revealed that 21.2% of Ghana’s income is generated from Agriculture, that’s why President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo being a farmer himself introduced Planting for Food and Jobs as a flagship agricultural Campaign program of the Government, with five (5) implementation modules to promote food security and immediate availability of selected food crops on the market and also provide jobs. This module was officially launched by His Excellency the president of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo in April 2017, he added. The five (5) Modules include planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), Greenhouse Technology Villages (GTV), Rearing for Food and Jobs ( RFJ), Agricultural Mechanization Services (AMSECs) and the new one from 2022 budget Commercial Farming (FM). Again the Region through the government has supplied 295m(mt) of organic fertilizers, 47.7m (mt) of NPK
fertilizers, 5m(mt) of compost fertilizers, and 5m(mt) across the Region to help boost the growth of Agriculture, also the government has hinted to stop the importation of Rice, Poultry and Toothpick in the next five(5) month in other for us to patronize our local products, in line with this directives, the western Region is collaborating with former MP for Twifo Atimokwa Hon. Dwumoh Odoom is an expert in rice farming to help reclaim the old galamsey site for Rice Farming. He then made a clarion call to all farmers on the need to liaise with their Agric Directors in their respective Districts in other to benefit from this initiative, he concluded.
The following are some items received by the award winners, Mr. De-Graft Afful emerged as the Overall Regional Best Farmer received Tricycle, Certificate, five (5) Bags of rice, a shovel, Pick Axe, 3 Cutlasses and twelve (12) Litres Apex 10 Agro Chemical, still in the Region Mr. George Nottey from Kojo – Skondi was the Overall Best Fisherman and took home One (1) Unit Outboard Motor, Twenty (20) Boudles of Wire Mesh, Twenty (20) Pieces of Basin, One (1) Coil of Rope, Two (2)Bundles of fishing net and Four(4)
Boundle f Twine, there other winners in other categories as far the Regional award is concern.
In the Municipality Mr.Samuel Owusu was the Overall Farmer hard Tricycle1, Double Door Refrigerator 1, Wellington booth 5, Fertilizer 10, knapsack’s 5, Cutlass13, Insecticide 12, Weedicide 5, Watering can 2,
Shovel 1, Wheel Barrow 1, Home Theatre 1, Television 40 inches 1, Storage Bag (Hermetic Bag) 20, Wax print 1 and 1 Mist Blower, Ist and 2nd runner ups also recievef a bit similar items and other 21 categories also took home some convincing items as well.
In addition, the former Member of Parliament and Board Chair for Minerals Commission Hon. Barbra Oteng Gyasi awarded a 57 years old Best Veteran Female Farmer Madam Hannah Eshun with a car (a small kia also known as Abosokain Macho) through own established WASSA HEMAA FOUNDATION and this is the second time the foundation made such an award to female in the farmers day celebration. She also gave had piece of cloth to all the award winners. The incumbent Member of Paliament Hon. Robert Wisdom Cudjoe also gave a small cylinder with direct stove to each of the participants.
The dignitaries present were Hon. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah the Western Regional Minister and members from the western Regional co-ordinating council, Hon. Isaac Dasmani Ph.D. the Municipal Chief Executive of Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Assembly (MCE), The Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency Hon. Robert Wisdom Cudjo (MP), Nana Kwame Katin the chief of Samahu, and his elders, Hon. Assembly Members, Staff from the Assembly, the various award winners,
and our gallant farmers.