ADB presents GHC1m cash prize to 2024 National Best Farmers, others

The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), has presented a GH¢1m cash prize to the 2024 National Best Farmer.

The National Livestock Best Farmer, National Best Person With Disability Farmer and National Best Female Farmer 2024 were presented with GH¢200,000 cash prize each for winning the National Farmers Day 2024.

The honoured farmers included the 2024 National Best Farmer, Nana Owusu Achiaw Brempong, Mrs Ernestina Osetutu, the 2024 National Best Female Farmer; Mr Stephen Ador, the 2024 National Best Physically Challenged Farmer; and Mr Noah Oben, the 2024 National Best Livestock Farmer.

Presenting the prizes in Accra last Wednesday, Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, expressed concern over the delay of payment of the prize and assured farmers that such delays would not happen again under his tenure.

He explained that he only became aware of the situation a few weeks ago when the 2024 National Best Farmer, Nana Owusu Echao Brimpong, visited his office to follow up on the status of the promised rewards.

The Minister added that the Ministry mobilised funds internally to ensure the three other awardees also received their GH¢200,000 cash prize each from the government.

Mr Opoku thanked ADB for its consistent support to the agricultural sector, particularly in honouring its GH¢ 1 million pledge to the National Best Farmer.

He also reiterated government’s commitment to the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA) through the Feed Ghana programme, aimed at strengthening the sector’s resilience and competitiveness.

The Deputy Managing Director for Operations ADB, Mrs Sylvia Naa Kwaakai Kyante, highlighted ADB’s consistent role as sponsor of the prestigious National Best Farmer Award since 2001.

She disclosed that Nana Brempong submitted a proposal to the bank through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which was duly assessed and approved.

The proposal outlined plans to invest the GH¢1 million prize in acquiring a combine harvester valued at GH¢1,030,000, a critical investment aimed at enhancing mechanisation and boosting productivity on his farm.

“The availability of a combine harvester will significantly improve crop yield, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance food quality. This is vital, especially in regions where harvesting windows are short and crops are vulnerable to weather damage or over-maturity,” she said.

Mrs Kyante expressed confidence that Nana Brempong would extend mechanised harvesting services to other farmers within his community, particularly youth and women, to reduce grain losses and promote inclusive agricultural growth.

The 2024 National Best Farmer, Nana Owusu Achiaw Brempong, made an appeal to government, and private sector to invest in and prioritise agriculture as a sustainable pathway to national development.

“In times of economic difficulty, the place to invest is agriculture,” he said, calling on young people to look beyond the traditional quest for so-called ‘white-collar jobs’ and take up careers in agriculture. “There is no coloured job better than feeding the world,” he stressed.

He challenged the widespread misconception that agriculture was the preserve of the uneducated or underprivileged, stating that it was a viable and profitable career for people from all walks of life.

“Government must support farmers with the right tools and implement policies to position Ghana as a food production hub in the sub-region,” he said.