By Gladys Abakah
Ntaamakrom (W/R), Nov. 08, GNA- The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), has awarded and honoured 10 farmers in the metropolis for their hard work, resilience and dedication in contributing to the food value chain and development of the metropolis.
Mr John Essien Amoasi, a 52-year-old man with a 10-year of farming experience was adjudged the overall Best Metro Farmer of the Year, taking home a tricycle, certificate, knapsack sprayer and some cutlasses.
He is into crop plantation, poultry, rubber plantation and fish farming.
Mr Amoasi owns seven acres of cassava farm, five acres of plantain, two acres of cocoyam, twenty acres of rubber plantation, one thousand pieces of tilapia and catfish, fifty-five local birds and seven goats.
Mr Amoasi expressed his sincere gratitude to the government for the honour done him and encouraged all farmers and fishers to keep working hard as their occupation contributed massively to the development and growth of the country.
He encouraged the youth especially the unemployed to venture into farming to help improve upon their living conditions and charged traditional leaders to lease off lands for youth who were determined to go into farming, adding that farming was a lucrative business when done well.
The first runner up award went to Madam Eunice Amponsah, who is into crop plantation, poultry and fish farming.
She was awarded a Certificate, freezer, wellington boots, knapsack sprayer and cutlasses.
Madam Alijatu Ndeego, who is into crop production and animal farming was awarded the best physically challenged farmer in the metropolis.
Other awardees were best aquaculture farmer, best poultry farmer, best vegetable farmer, best crop farmer, best fish processor, best small ruminants’ farmer and best metro youth farmer.
Mr Abdul Mumin Issah, the Metropolitan Chief Executive Officer (MCE), congratulated all farmers and awardees for tirelessly making sure that there was food on our tables and ensuring national growth and development.
He noted that the surest way in ensuring reliable access to sufficient quantity of affordable nutritious food for the people was to respond to climate related disturbances in crop and animal production.
” The National Climate Change Policy provides strategic direction to help manage climate-related issues that affected vegetation”, he said.
He mentioned that climate related disturbance needed to be dealt with in order to protect forest reserves and farming activities.
Madam Deborah Gyasi Frimpomaa, Metro Director of Agriculture, said Farmer’s Day celebration was a testament of an unwavering dedication, resilience and hard work of farmers who strived to ensure food security and sustainability in the country.
She stressed the need to adopt sustainable agricultural practices to ensure food security amidst growing climate challenges.
She urged all to support initiatives that would empower farmers with the knowledge and resources needed to thrive climate agriculture crisis.
The Farmer’s Day celebration was on the theme “Climate Resilience Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security”.
As part of the celebration, the Metropolitan Assembly organized health screening for farmers and residents in the Ntaamakrom community.
GNA