32ND FARMERS DAY CELEBRATION HELD IN THE TANO SOUTH DISTRICT

The Tano South version of the 32^nd Farmers Day Celebration was held in the District Capital Bechem. The day which saw all categories of farmers from the District with their farm produces displayed at the grounds saw a large number of people attending the days function which had for its theme “AGRICULTURE : A BUSINESS RESPONSE TO ECONOMIC GROWTH”

In an introductory speech to mark the day, the Tano South District Director of Agriculture Mr. Kyei- Baffour Owusu –Achiaw said the purpose of the days gathering was to say “AYEKOO” to our gallant farmers who through their sweat and toil have been able to produce enough for domestic consumption, provide raw materials for some of our agro based industries and also for export.

Mr. Kyei- Baffour said it is increasingly becoming a worry to see most farmers regarding themselves as unemployed and this is so because in the past many of such people have taking farming as a way of life not a business venture. He said even those who take farming as a business also fail to abreast themselves with the value chain as if Agriculture is not a profitable venture.

Mr. Kyie –Baffour asserted that the department of Agriculture will be focusing on some thematic areas  in the years ahead to improve their status despite inadequate  logistics coupled with low number of Agriculture Extension Officers which enable some farmers to complain  that they don’t get services.

Mr. Kyei – Baffour indicated that despite challenges his outfit face, the District was able to chalk some successes and said the officers in the District stood among their colleagues in the Region through their hard work and dedication to duty.

Mr Kyei- Baffour again said the major problem facing the Agriculture industry is Climate Change and added that each one of us have contributed to this in one way or the other through indiscriminate felling of trees, bad farm practices, combustion of engines and burning of rubbish and fuel in households and cautioned that it is in this regard that we must all rise up and help restore the natural love otherwise generations to come will never forgive us and used the occasion to thank the Tano South District Assembly especially  the District Chief Executive, the District Agriculture Development Committee, the Planning Committee, Nananom, Assembly members, the good people of Bechem and its environs and our gallant farmers for making the celebration a success.

The Tano South District Chief Executive Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba in his address stated that the farmers’ day celebration is set aside to honour our gallant farmers whose contribution to the development of this country cannot be under estimated and remain core to the transformational agenda of the government.

Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba attested that, the government is keeping to Changing Lives and Transforming Ghana agenda which has the principal objective of achieving National Food Security continue to put in place critical interventions to modernize Agriculture to improve yield.

Hon. Anaba said the theme for this year’s celebration “Agriculture a Business Response to Economic Growth” could not have come at any better time considering the clarion call to expand the economy through Agriculture and numerous opportunities that exist in the sector and its potential to grow the Ghanaian Economy. He affirmed that majority of the workforce in the country are engaged in Agriculture and the sector serves as a backbone to the Ghanaian economy and any effort to grow the economy to the anticipated levels would have to depend largely on Agriculture and when the sector is seriously looked at could serve as a panacea to the myriad of the economic challenges that the country occasionally faces and help to further improve the economic fortunes for the betterment of all.

Hon. Anaba said the Tano South District Assembly knowing the critical role the sector plays and on its quest to increase Agriculture productivity procured some farm inputs for farmers in the district during the early part of this year and said government is doing its best to make Agriculture attractive to encourage investors to consider investment in the sector lucrative so that a lot more jobs could be created to absorb the teaming youth and said the effort to improve Agriculture sector be left to government alone since each and every one of us has a pivotal role to play if Ghana were to achieve economic growth through Agriculture as there should be a deliberate effort by all well-meaning Ghanaians to show interest.

Touching on cocoa production, Hon. Anaba added up that the government in its effort to increase cocoa production continue to supply cocoa seedlings and fertilizers to farmers and under the programme 1, 250, 00 cocoa seedlings were produced within Bechem, Techimantia and Derma nursery sites and distributed to 1,952 cocoa farmers in the district and hinted that the District cocoa officer also received different varieties of fertilizer and accordingly distributed district wide.

Hon. Anaba informed the gathering that whilst the government continue to improve conditions of roads in farming communities in the district the Tano South District Assembly is also working tirelessly to improve the condition of feeder roads in the District which are all clear indications of the President’s commitment of making agriculture sector attractive to businessmen so that they would invest to increase output which would bring about economic growth of the country.

Hon. Anaba in conclusion reminded the people that this year is an election year and therefore appealed to all and sundry to comport themselves before ,during and after the Elections to ensure the sustenance of peace that exist in order to once again show to the whole world our maturity and advancement when it comes to democracy. He commended and expressed gratitude to our gallant fishermen and farmers for providing food for us.

Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II, Omanhene of Bechem Traditional Area was adjudged the overall best farmer in the District.