The Tano South Municipal Assembly has celebrated its version of the 39th Farmers’ Day in Subriso.
In an opening address, Mr. Paul Addai, the Tano South Municipal Director of Agriculture welcomed all participants and said the celebration of the farmers’ day helps farmers to assess their strengths and weaknesses. He further indicated that, this year’s farmers’ day marks the 39th edition and emphasized many hardworking farmers would be given reward by the government.
Mr. Addai implored farmers to use modern method of farming to ensure they acquire higher yields. According to him, government has introduced a number of policies and programme sat the agricultural sector to ensure agriculture becomes attractive for the younger generation to investing their resources and urged all gathered farmers to support government to implement its policies such as planting for food and jobs phase II.
He used the opportunity to explain factors that led Ghana to observe farmers’ day in 1985 and items the best farmer at that time had. According to him, successive governments have used farmers’ day celebration to reward many gallant farmers and also reviewed Ghana’s Agricultural policies to ensure Ghana achieve self – sufficiency in food production’s objectives.
Mr. Addai elaborated some of the activities and programmes of which the department of Agriculture performed in 2023 to all gathered participants. According to him, the climate change currently experienced by the world requires crops which could withstand the weather and it was upon that reason government has modified its phase one planting for food and jobs programmes and hinted that, in no time, government would start implementation of phase two planting for food and jobs programmes in 2024 and called on all stakeholders to support government during the implementation of the said programmes.
In another development, Hon. Collins Offinam Takyi, the Municipal Chief Executive for Tano South indicated that, thisyear’s farmers’ day is celebrating under the theme “delivering smart solution for sustainable food security and resilience”.
The MCE for Tano South Hon. Collins Offinam Takyi giving his keynote address
According to him, the theme is in line with the government’s vision to make Ghana food sufficient as demonstrated, since 2017 when the NPP government assumed political power in Ghana. Youth in Agriculture was mentioned by Hon. Takyi as one of the programmes government has introduced and emphasized that, the programme had given many jobs to the youth in the Municipality. He also used the opportunity to catalogue some of the achievements of Tano South Municipal Assembly as well as the central government.
Hon. Dr. Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere, the MP for Tano South Constituency informed the residents in the Municipality to consider massive investments the government under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government have made in the various sectors of the Municipality and further called on them to vote for New Patriotic Party in 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
The MP for Tano South Constituency Hon. Dr. Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere addressing the gathering
Considering the contributions made in the Municipality by the farmers, the Member of Parliament for Tano South Constituency rewarded the 39th best farmer in the Municipality with amount of GH₵ 1, 000.00 whiles the other awardees were also given GH₵ 500.00 each by the MP. He further advised the farmers to continue to work hard to enable them achieve their intended objectives.
The programme was attended by dignitaries like Hon. Collins Offinam Takyi, the MCE for Tano South, Hon. Dr. Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere, the MP for Tano South Constituency, Hon Asare Antwi, the Presiding Member for Tano South Municipal Assembly, Assembly Members, Heads of Department and Nananom among others.
Dignitaries and Nananom at the function