Stories From Richard Attenkah
Mr. Michael Abgeko, the 2002 Best Maize Farmer in the Tema Metropolis, on Friday was adjudged the 2013 Overall Best Farmer in the Kpone-Katamanso District at the 29th Farmers’ Day, organised by the Kpone-Katamanso District Assembly (KKDA).
He, therefore, becomes the first Overall Best Farmer in the whole of the district, because this is the first time the Assembly, which was carved out of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), is organising this event.
Mr. Agbeko took home a set of furniture, a brand new 29 inches Sanyo television set, one bicycle, one knapsack sprayer, wellington boots, and four cutlasses as his prize.
He stood tall among his peers, and was adjudged the overall best, because he cultivated nine acres of maize, three acres of cowpea and 20 acres of pepper. He also had 40 cockerels, 80 local fowls, 20 goats, and 30 cattle, aside a fish pond and a sugar cane farm in the Volta Region.
Eighteen other persons were adjudged best farmers in the various categories, namely, maize, pepper, tomato, okro, water melon, onion, cassava, exotic vegetables, small ruminants, poultry, cattle, piggery, fish processing, agro processing, canoe fishing (Nifanifa), anchovy fishing and non-traditional.
Each of the best farmers under the above categories received a bicycle, one knapsack sprayer, a pair of Wellington boots, and four cutlasses.
Mr. Agbeko appealed to the authorities to endeavour to find a lasting solution to sand and gravel winning in the district, and further ensure that farmers in the area have access to more land so that they can grow more food and rear more animals for the greater good of Ghanaians.
Addressing the farmers, Alhaji Anteaye Tetteh, Kpone-Katamanso District Chief Executive, appealed to Ghanaians to pray for our farmers, as they had taken the responsibility of feeding the entire nation on their shoulders.
He said the need to ensure food security had become a modern mantra, because our population was growing and we need more food, adding it was, therefore, unacceptable that food can go waste when we most needed them.
He said food insecurity in Ghana should not be politicised in any way, as it was the collective responsibility of all Ghanaians to ensure that we produce enough food to take care of ourselves as a people.
Mr.-Michael-Abgeko-2nd-from-left-receiving-his-sword-of-honour-from-Alhaji-Anteaye-Tetteh-Kpone-Katamanso-District-Chief-Executive