By Agbaxode Emmanuel, GNA
Akatsi (VR), Nov. 29, GNA – Mr Daniel Dagba, the Municipal Chief Executive of Akatsi South in the Volta Region says Government plans to build agro-processing centres where farming, processing, storage, and selling would be 24 hours to reduce waste, create jobs, and help farmers earn more money.
He said the government had started several good programmes, which included the Agriculture Transformation Programme, the 24-Hour Economy that would make farming better and more profitable for farmers.
Mr Dagba, who revealed that his outfit has started the ‘Feed Ghana Programme’ to help farmers increase production, said this during the celebration of the 41st Municipal Farmers Day event held at Ahlihadzi within the Akatsi South Municipality.
He said the theme for the year, “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future,” was an important one for Ghana’s advancement in the sector of Agriculture.
“To Feed Ghana means we must grow enough food for our people. To Eat Ghana means we should be proud to eat what we grow. To secure the Future means we must prepare our children and youth to love farming. We must teach them new and better ways of farming,” he added.
Mr Dagba indicated that his outfit had also helped farmers to go into rice farming through contract farming with organisations, where farmers were given inputs to farm on 500 acres of land.
He explained that 3,951 farmers had been formed into groups and registered in the Municipality with a total of 34 farmer groups who have received training on how to work together, solve problems, and improve their farming.
“The government has also helped farmers with 1,800 bags of NPK fertiliser. These were shared among 131 farmer groups and individual farmers. This support has helped farmers to increase their yields and reduce losses.”
Among other interventions by the government, Mr Dagba Mr Dagba revealed that their Business Resource Centre, through the Biz-Box Project by Mastercard Foundation, gave cassava processing machines to 41 youths aimed at making work easier as well as reducing hard labour.
Mr Michael Banga, the Municipal Director of Agriculture, on his part, said this year’s theme was appropriate “as it underscores our collective ambition to strengthen our agricultural systems, improve food security, and build a future where every Ghanaian has access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food.”
He appealed to all actors in the agriculture sector to renew their commitment by supporting farmers to produce more.
”Let us consume what we produce to build a resilient and prosperous food system. If we feed Ghana, and eat Ghana, then, together, we will secure the future of Ghana.”
Mr Segbedzi Kwabla, a farmer from Kpodzivi was adjudged as the overall Best Municipal Farmer.
The other awardees included, Avenor SHS as best SHS in agriculture, Reveal Word Tabernacle Church as best Faith-Based organisation in agriculture, Afornorpe Peter Kofitsey as Best Physically Challenged and Hordagba Williams as best Youth in agriculture.
The rest were Ahiable Patience Biba, best female farmer, Xedidor Ephraim, best livestock farmer, and Zownu Korku, best Crop farmer.
GNA
Edited by: Maxwell Awumah/Linda Asante Agyei