From Isaac Akwetey-Okunor
At the regional celebration of Farmers’ Day, which took place at Osiem in the East Akyem Municipality, Emmanuel Takyi Appiah of Teko Farms in the Fanteakwa District was crowned the Regional Best Framer.
He took home items such as a complete corn mill, 2 pair of wellington boots, 2 knapsack sprayer, 3 bags of fertilizer, motor bike, and certificate among others as his prize.
Addressing the media shortly after the ceremony, the Eastern Regional Best Farmer called on the government to fashion out measures to help facilitate loans, in order to improve and adopt day-to-day farming techniques.
Mr. Appiah further charged the government to help improve on the various road networks that connect the farms to the central business district, since agriculture was a main business.
Also 33 year old George Apotogra of Asrebuso in the Fanteakwa District was adjudged the overall District Best Farmer during a celebration, which took place at Oboho.
The young man has 20 acres of cocoa, 100 acres of plantain, 16 acres beans, 2 acres cabbage, 5 acres of cassava, 20 acres of cocoyam, 4 acres of groundnuts, 5 acres of tomatoes, and 4 acres of pepper.
The rest are 47 sheep, 30 goats, 200 local birds, 9 ducks, and he is assisted by 6 labourers.
In all, 26 farmers were awarded, with Mary Padi and Emmanuel Kofi Adema adjudged Best Woman Farmer and Most Enterprising fFarmer respectively.
Addressing the gathering, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Fanteakwa, Abass Fusieni Sbaabe, said with regards to the negative activities of Fulani herdsmen, the District Security Committee (DISEC) had put in place prudent measures which were being implemented to address the problem.
“Registration of cattle owners, and the number of cattle and herdsmen, as well as the landlords who have given out parcels of land to them is going on,” he said.
He said identification numbers on cattle would be unique to each cattle owner for ease of identification, saying the horns of cattle unique to each cattle owner were also being painted for purposes of identification.
He said reflective jackets had been procured by the assembly for cattle owners, with identification numbers embossed at the back of the jackets.
One person whose efforts and enthusiasm towards farming was appreciated was the national Coordinator for the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr. Kofi Porturphy, who was awarded.
Prior to the presentation, the Eastern Regional Minister, Helen Adjoa Ntoso, said under the Afram Plains Districts Agriculture Development Project, a holistic programme was underway for the development of agriculture.
According to her, some of the interventions include the construction of 15 lots of feeder roads, four fodder banks, three grain warehouses, four crop markets, slaughter houses, the rehabilitation of cashew farms, introduction of cage culture and stocking of the Afram Lake with fingerlings.
The Eastern Regional Minister acknowledged that in these days of rapidly enlarging populations in most sub-Saharan countries whose food is already short, there was an increasing urgency to do a better job of conserving food supply.
This, she explained, if done, would go a long way to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in those countries
The DCE and other dignitiries appreciating some of the farm produce
The District Best Farmer recieving his certificate from the DCE
Hon. Abass making a point to one of the sub-chief of Begoro