This year’s event is being organised under the theme ‘Accelerating Agriculture Development through Value-Addition’ with the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the Special Guest of Honour.

This year’s celebration had to be reviewed by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture due to the current global economic crises and national constraints.

 The awards at the national level have been reduced to the Overall National Best Farmer, the 1st and 2nd Runner-Up National Best farmers, the National Best Livestock Farmer and the National Best Crop Farmer.

The others are Overall National Best Fisher, the National Best Marine Fisher, National Best Inland Fisher, National Best Fisher Farmer and the National Best Fish Processor.

The rest are the National Best Cocoa Farmer, National Best Most Promising Young Cocoa Farmer, National Best Most Enterprising Cocoa Female Farmer, National Best Coffee Farmer and National Best Shea nut Picker.

Celebrations at the regional level have been restored as a cost-cutting strategy to ease the financial burden on the 16 Regional Coordinating Councils which hitherto bore the cost of paying for travel expenses, accommodation and lodging of regional award winners and other accompanying officials to participate in the celebration at the national level.

There will be five regional award categories per region, namely the Regional Best Farmer, Regional Best Livestock Farmer, Regional Best Crop Farmer, Regional Best Fisher and Regional Best Agricultural Extension Agent.

The district award categories have been revised from six to three, namely District Best Farmer; District Best Livestock Farmer and District Best Crop Farmer.

According to the Public Relations officer of the Ministry, Bagbara Tanko, “Value-Added Agriculture is a movement that has created a life of its own because it is an idea that has the potential to change production agriculture to a more meaningful product.

“Changing a raw agricultural product into something new goes through processing, drying, extracting or any other type of process that differentiates the product from the original raw produce,” he added.

 Ama Tekyiwaa Ampa­du Agyeman reports from Koforidua that a four-day Agriculture Fair preceding the 38th National Farmers’ Day celebration opened on Tues­day at the Jubilee Park here on Tuesday.

The fair exhibited made-in-Ghana agro products and chemical in other to showcase the county’s agriculture poten­tial as well as create awareness among farmers.

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, speaking at the ceremo­ny said the theme “Accelerating Agricultural Development through Value Addition” high­lighted the country’s agriculture direction as well as the need to strengthen food systems to sustain national food security.

He said the fair would promote technologies which would be helpful in doubling farmers’ incomes and attract investors to the agricultural sector as well as provide expo­sure to new opportunities for partnerships and networking in agribusiness.

The Eastern Regional Minis­ter, Mr Seth Kwame Acheam­pong, said the region was en­dowed with a unique diversity in terms of the agro-ecological zones and also contributes greatly to the food basket of the nation.

The Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III, commended the ministry for sustaining the tradition of the fair and said it would provide a first-hand experience and decision-making that would positively impact agribusiness­es.