The management of Agriculture Development Bank (ADB), the leading sponsor of National Best Farmer Awards, on Wednesday presented a three-bedroom house to the 2008 National Best Farmer, Dr. Simon Saku.
The house estimated at GH¢100,000, is situated at Beach Drive Estates at Kasoa in the Central Region.
The ADB Management provided furnishing in the living room, dining and bedrooms.
Mr. Enoch Teye Mensah, Acting Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), handing-over the keys to Dr Saku, commended the management of ADB for its numerous contributions towards the National Farmers' Day celebrations.
He said MOFA was negotiating with the management for loans and access to lands for the Youth in Agriculture programme.
Mr. Mensah who is the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, expressed appreciation to Ghanaian farmers for their numerous contributions
towards national development and pledged government's support towards their course.
He appealed to chiefs to endeavour to make land available for agricultural purposes and expressed concern about lands which were hitherto
used for agriculture but had now been developed into estates.
Alhaji Ibrahim Adam, Board Chairman of ADB, pledged the Bank's assistance to the needs of farmers and fishermen in the country, adding more
branches would be established within the next two years in potential agricultural areas.
In addition, he said, management would introduce retail services tailored to meet the needs of fishermen and farmers and provide diversified financial services for sustained agricultural and rural development.
Alhaji Adam announced that since 2001, management had provided eight houses under the sponsorship and that the ninth house for Mr. Davies Karboe, 2009 National Best Farmer, was yet to be constructed.
He commended Dr. Saku, a private medical practitioner at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region, for his contribution towards agricultural development in the country.
Dr. Saku thanked management of ADB for the award and pledged to make his expertise available to other Ghanaian farmers.