He said Ghana’s agricultural sector was the most important economic area, which employs more than 50 per cent of the population and constituted about seventy per cent of economic activities in the country.

He said, no economic activity in Ghana could be successful without agriculture and that the male counterparts in farming and fishing sector needed to involve women in the sector so that they could also contribute massively in the agricultural production for the country’s development.

Alhaji Yussif gave the advice in Yendi on Wednesday during the inauguration of District Association executives of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishers (GNAFF), aimed at strengthening the grassroots branches of the association.

The programme organised by the GNAFF is also aimed among others to work closely with the District Agriculture Directors at their various district levels for smooth running of the association.He said the government’s vision of increasing agricultural productivity would also help to increase the income levels of local farmers and fishermen to achieve food security in the region and the country as whole.

Naa Yaba Chong-Naa Salifu, the first, Regional Chairman of GNAFF advised the new executives to stick to their roles and responsibilities to help eliminate hunger and poverty to increase agricultural production for the development of the country. Alhaj Nantomah Fusheni Ayatullah, a representative of the Ghana Seed Growers Association (SEEDPAG) advised all farmers to get good planting materials to prepare their lands before planting for quality yields.

He explained that the government’s programme, ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ would increase their farms sizes and yields, saying, “You cannot increase your yields when you don’t have good planting materials. There is therefore the need for you to always change your seed every three years to increase productivity”.

The eleven member Municipal/District executives included; Yendi Municipal, Nanumba North, Nanumba South, Kpandai, Zabzugu, Tatale Sanguli, Chereponi, Mion, Karaga, Saboba  and Gushegu, who are to operate within the Eastern corridor area.