Africa-Press – Ghana. The Keta Municipal Assembly in the Volta Region has honoured some hardworking farmers to mark the 41st Farmers’ Day celebration at Hatorgodo in the Municipality.
Twelve categories of awards shortlisted included Best Crop Farmer, Best Livestock Farmer, Best Agro Processor, Best Youth Farmer and Best Person with Disability Farmer who received various awards to encourage and empower them to improve the development of agriculture in the municipality and in the country as a whole.
Mr Godwin Tettey, the Keta Municipal Director of Agriculture said the event was to honour and celebrate hardworking farmers in the area to promote agriculture.
“This year’s celebration is being marked under the powerful and inspiring theme, ‘Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future,’ which reminds us of our shared responsibility to strengthen our food system, promote local consumption and build a resilient economy.”
He said the celebration had provided the opportunity to reflect on the immense contributions of farmers and fishermen and women who woke up every day to endure that food reached various homes, markets, and industries.
Mr Tettey explained that the resilience, particularly in the face of the rising production costs, climate variability, and environmental pressures continued to sustain the local and national economy while in Keta Municipality, agriculture remained the bedrock of livelihoods.
“From vegetable farming and food crop production to livestock rearing and fishing, our agricultural sector plays a critical role in employment creation, nutrition, and food security.
When we feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, we affirm the importance of supporting local farmers and strengthening the value chains that ensure high quality, safe, and nutritious food for all.”
He emphasised that the farmers in the northern zone of the municipality strived hard to grow arable crops such as maize, rice, cassava, sweet potato, pepper and sugarcane, and rear animals including small and large ruminants and poultry every year to ensure food security.
Mr Wisdom Bondeau Seade, the Keta Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), who was Guest of Honour at the event urged the public to always grow, eat and use local products for the progress and development of agriculture in the municipality and the country.
He said agriculture was the backbone of the country and that government would continue to provide the necessary support to individuals, groups, and communities, who prioritised agriculture production to produce more yields to feed the country.
For the awards, Mr Pascal Dasilveira, from Nolopi was adjudged overall Municipal Best Farmer while Regent Togbi Shikabli Christian of Tsiame, Mr Nelson Hormeku from Dorveme and Madam Angela Avettey of Dzelukope emerged First Runner-up, Best PWD Farmer and Best cCollaborating Farmer respectively of the year.
Mr David Kpatta, the Assembly Member of Tsiame Electoral Area was also adjudged Best Crop Farmer, Mr Wokomayor Dovlo, Best Livestock Farmer, Madam Victoria Amegbe, Best Agroprocessor and Master Frederick Kumahor as the Best Youth Farmer of the year in the municipality.
Other winners were Hamenu Farmers Group from Hatorgodo as the Best Farmer-based Organisation, Atsiame-Heluvi Basic School, the Municipal Best Agricultural Basic School and the host Hatorgodo community for the hosting efforts.
The farmers received various forms of awards such as knapsack sprayers, Wellington boots, cutlasses, fertilizers, tricycle, insecticides, bicycles, and certificates among others.
Some award winners Ghana News Agency interviewed expressed excitement over the awards and thanked the Municipal Agricultural Department for the recognition.
They pledged to work beyond the limit to promote agriculture and produce more for the consumption of the public and appealed to the government to solve some pressing challenges in the area which included good roads, fertilizers and herbicides.
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