By Muyid Deen Suleman
Asokore-Mampong, (Ash), Dec. 6, GNA – Mr Ben Abdullah Alhassan, the Asokore-Mampong Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said the 41st Farmers Day celebration serves as a clarion call to action and a strategic roadmap towards self-reliance, resonating with the commitments made by President John Dramani Mahama.
He noted that the theme for this year’s celebration: “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future,” reflects the flagship Feed Ghana Programme inaugurated in April 2025 by the government.
He stressed that the theme confronts challenges such as hunger, economic stagnation, and vulnerability, with a view to cultivating economic growth for tomorrow while safeguarding the future of children for generations to come.
He elaborated that the National Democratic Congress government inherited a food system beleaguered by over $2 billion in annual imports, with a significant number of the youth abandoning agricultural pursuits for uncertain urban employment, resulting in markets inundated with foreign produce.
He, however, noted that under President Mahama’s stewardship, the agricultural sector had rejuvenated with food inflation declining by 9.5 per cent by October 2025.
Commenting on the Feed Ghana initiative within the Municipality, he indicated that the programme was enhancing irrigation capabilities through the installation of 250 solar-powered boreholes and the rehabilitation of small dams, to ensuring year-round agricultural production, even during dry seasons.
He announced that the Assembly was prioritising the establishment of boreholes for communities like Asokore Mampong, Parkoso, Kontompo, and Sawaba to address the perennial impediment in consistent yields of vegetables and grains in the Municipality.
He noted that 500 bags of fertilizer had already been allocated for minor season crops in the municipality, empowering backyard gardeners to expand their tomato beds and maize cultivation without problems.
The MCE remarked that every household in Parkoso, Asokore, and Adukrom could now avail themselves of complimentary seedlings for container farming and greenhouse setups, thereby reducing food expenditures and transforming idle spaces into productive ventures.
On the Grow Ghana initiative, he explained that the Assembly was also establishing farmer cooperatives to facilitate bulk purchasing of inputs and negotiate favourable prices for farmers in Sepe and Sawaba, who could now connect directly with urban buyers via digital platforms.
He emphasised that to secure the future, the government was investing in sustainable soil management, water harvesting, and long-term food reserves to mitigate the impacts of erratic weather patterns.
He urged the community to support farmers through patronage and to empower the youth to engage in farming with pride and profitability.
Mr Abass Bawa was honoured as the overall best farmer for the municipality and was given a tricycle, a box of cutlasses, a box of boots, a box of insecticides, and a spraying machine as his prize.
GNA
Edited by Yussif Ibrahim/Lydia Kukua Asamoah