STMA honours five farmers at 38th Farmers Day celebration

Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, 45, from Bowohomodzen, a suburb of Takoradi, was on Friday crowned the Best Farmer in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.  

He took home one motorbike, 10 bags of wheat brand, two mosquito nets, two raincoats, one wheelbarrow, 10 pairs of wellington boots, 10 cutlasses, two knapsack sprayers, two lime bags and one solo mist blower machine.  

Mr Mohammed can boast of six acres of maize, three acres of garden eggs, two acres of pepper, one acre of spring onion and cabbage, half an acre of lettuce, two acres of cucumber, and three acres of plantain.  

Others are five acres of cassava, eight acres of coconut, six acres of cocoa, three acres of sugarcane, two acres of Acacia, 200 poultry birds, 40 goats, five grass cutters and 250 snails.  

The best female farmer award went to 54-year-old Madam Vida Hagan, who took home one eight-inch latex mattress, two lime bags, two knapsack sprayers, five cutlass, three wellington boots, two raincoats, one mosquito net and five wheelbarrows. 

She has two acres of maize, three acres of cassava, three acres of plantain, four acres of coconut, four acres of oil palm, four goats, ten local birds and two sheep.  

 Mr Samuel Tetteh Nabralh, from New Takoradi, who has two canoes, three boats and 40 workers, was crowned the Best Fisher in the Metropolis.  

He was presented with a tabletop fridge, two lime bags, five wellington boots, one roll of rope, 100 floats, two raincoats, two mosquito nets and five wheat bran.  

The Best Crops Farmer went to Mr Sampson Tandoh. He took home a tabletop fridge, mosquito net and wheelbarrow, five bags of Wheat bran, two raincoats, three wellington boots, five cutlasses, and two knapsack sprayers.  

The 33-year farmer from Ahanta Abasah can boost of one acre each of pepper, tomatoes and garden eggs, three acres of maize, five acres of cassava, two acres of plantain, two acres of cocoyam, three acres of coconut, four goats and sixty local birds.  

 Mr Sylvester Worlanyo Semabia,  who won the Best Livestock Farmer award, has 120 hybrid fowls, 50 rabbits, 15 grass cutters, 50 turkeys, 35 ducks, two Guinea pigs, four doves, 22 sheep and six goats.  

He was awarded 10 wheat bran, two raincoats, three wellington boots, five cutlasses, two knapsack sprayers, a tabletop fridge, a wheelbarrow and a mosquito net.  

The Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Abdul Mumin Issah, lauded the awardees and indicated that over three million Ghanaians were engaged in agriculture and encouraged the youth to go into farming.  

The Metropolitan Director of Agricultural, Mr Daniel Asimenu, said the agricultural sector had contributed immensely to the growth of the economy, adding that 40 per cent of the nation’s population was into agriculture, contributing about 20 per cent to the GDP.  

He said the agricultural sector was the major revenue and job creation avenue in the country and urged the youth to develop an interest in farming.  

Mr Asimenu said the sector was, however, challenged with a poor road network, increased transportation costs, the lack of finance, low demand and limited business knowledge among others.  

The day was celebrated on the theme: “Accelerating Agricultural Development through Value Addition.”

Source: GNA