By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Kulkpeni (N/R), Dec. 05, GNA – Mr Karim Fuseini, a distinguished farmer from the Nanumba South District of the Northern Region, has been crowned the regional overall best farmer at the 41st National Farmers Day Celebration held at Kulkpeni in the Yendi Municipality.
He was among 11 farmers and institutions that received various awards in the Region for their outstanding contribution to agriculture and food security.
Mr Fuseini received a tricycle, 45 bags of fertiliser, three boxes of agro-chemicals, a pair of Wellington boots, a knapsack sprayer, one bag of certified maize seeds and a litre of OFA fertiliser and a certificate.
Mr Fuseini expressed deep gratitude to the government, the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, and the Department of Agriculture for the recognition.
He said: “This award means a lot to me and my family. farming is my life, and despite the challenges we face each year from unpredictable rainfall to rising input costs, I remain committed to feeding Ghana. This recognition motivates me to work even harder, expand my farm, and support young people in my community to take up agriculture.”
He appealed for increased access to fertiliser, improved extension services, and affordable mechanisation to enable farmers to enhance productivity.
Mr Adolf Ali John, the Northern Regional Minister, applauded all the award-winning farmers and the wider farming community for their resilience and dedication despite erratic rainfall patterns and climate-related challenges.
He noted that the region continued to demonstrate strong agricultural performance, with projected cultivation of 652,000 hectares of farmland and an estimated 3.6 million metric tonnes of major staples for 2025.
He added that yam production alone exceeded 1.8 million metric tonnes, reinforcing the region’s status as Ghana’s leading yam producer.
The Minister highlighted the government’s renewed commitment to food self-sufficiency under the Feed Ghana Programme, which sought to boost national food production, reduce the country’s $3 billion annual food import bill, and support agribusiness development.
He disclosed that the region had registered 93,591 farmers, including 39,898 women, into farmer-based organisations and cooperatives under the programme evidenced by active community participation.
Awardees at the event included the Best Female Farmer, Best Youth Farmer, Best Livestock Farmer, Best Differently Abled Farmer, Best Processor, Best AEA, and Best Schools in Agriculture at the primary, JHS and SHS levels.
Mr John commended extension officers, processors, aggregators, and development partners for their essential role in strengthening agriculture in the region.
He called on all Ghanaians to support the national agenda of “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future” by prioritizing locally grown food.
There was an exhibition of diverse agricultural produce, implements, and machinery at the durbar.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/ Christabel Addo