YILO KROBO HOLDS FARMERS DAY

A 45 year old man, Richard Martey has been adjudged the 2009 Yilo krobo District overall best farmer at a farmers’ day celebration held at Opersika.

Richard Martey who is a married man with four children has fourteen acres mango farm, maize seven acres, cassava two acres, pepper one and half acres. For animals he has forty (40) cattle, twenty-three (23) goats, fourteen (14) sheeps among others.

He took home a 20 inches television set, radio, wall clock, 2 bags of fertilizers, spraying machine, 1 full piece wax print, 5 cutlasses, washing bowls, a pair of Wellington booths and a certificate.

Delivering his keynote address under the theme ‘Accelerated Agriculture modernization for food security and economic transformation’, the District Chief Executive Hon. Andrews Sodah, stated that it is government's policy to ensure sustainable increase in agriculture productivity and output to support industries and provide stable income for farmers.

This he said is being achieved through capacity building for farmers, adopting good agricultural practices by farmers, investing of capital into the farming system and the development of rural markets.

He re-emphasized government plan to accelerate modern agriculture to ensure food security and transformation of rural economy.

Hon. Andrews Sodah however said, Government is therefore promoting a value chain development concept where all the various structures in production, processing and marketing are monitored to ensure sustainability. He applauded hard working farmers for providing food for Ghanaians all year round.

The District Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Mr. Kofi Larbi in his welcome address said the nation cannot achieve food security and rural economic transformation if banks continue to deny farmers loan facilities.

Mr. Larbi therefore appealed to banks in the district to grant loan facilities to farmers to enhance their productions.

The district overall beast farmer, Mr. Richard Martey expressed his profound gratitude to (MOFA) and the agric extension officers for their assistance and challenged his fellow farmers not to limit themselves to the cultivation of one crop but rather practice horticulture.

By Doris N. Sodjah (ISD, Somanya)



Inspection of farm products by the DCE, Presiding Member, heads of departments and MOFA officials.