By Gideon Peprah
Amakye Bare (Ash), Dec. 4, GNA – Mr Bright Osei Kofi, the Assembly Member for Worapong Electoral area, has emerged the district best farmer for Atwima Nwabiagya North.
The 39-year-old who owns 50 acres of oil palm, 40 acres of cocoa farm, unspecified acres of cassava farm, plantain, maize, livestock, fishpond is one of the youngest to be crowned best farmer in the history of the district.
This year’s Farmers’ Day, which was themed, “Accelerating Agricultural Through Value Addition”, was held at Amakye Bare in the Atwima Nwabiagya North District.
Dignitaries such as chiefs, government appointees, assembly members, and politicians graced the occasion.
The best farmer received items such as chest freezer, wheelbarrow, wellington boots, 10 cutlasses, six yards of wax print, five agro chemicals, two bars of key soap, mixed blower, knapsack sprayer.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mr Osei Kofi said the journey had not been easy for him as a young farmer, but he made it through determination and perseverance.
Explaining how he started as a farmer, he said he was motivated to venture into full time farming after a taskforce of the Suame Municipal Assembly demolished a structure in which he traded.
He said lack of access to financing to take care of labour cost and farm inputs remained the main challenges making farming unattractive to the youth.
He thanked the Assembly and all donors for recognising efforts of farmers and pledged his commitment to do more to contribute to food production.
Mrs Rebecca Yeboah, the District Chief Executive commended the farmers for their outstanding output towards the socio-economic development of the country.
She further encouraged farmers to continue to feed the nation, adding that the government would continue to create the enabling environment through programmes like Planting for Food and Jobs, Rearing for Food and Jobs and Planting for Export and Rural Development.
GNA