Ten farmers, who distinguished themselves in the past year, have been awarded at this year’s Farmers’ Day held at Anyansu in the Asuogyaman District in the Eastern Region.

The event, held on the theme: “Building Climate Resilient Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security”, saw a 41-year-old physically challenged farmer from South Senchi, Stephen Kwame, being crowned the Overall Best Farmer in the district.

The Asuogyaman 2024 Best Farmer cultivated 16 acres of maize, four acres of cassava, one acre of cocoyam, half acre each of tomatoes, plantain, pepper and okra, in addition to 150 local fowls and 20 goats.

For his prize, he received a certificate, motorbike, 32-inch television set, four machetes, one knapsack sprayer, two litres of weedicides, a pair of Wellington boots, three bars of soap and two packs of margarine.

The other nine award winners were the Best Fisherman, Anokotoma Nartey; the Best Fish Processor, Mercy Klebiti; the Best Vegetable Farmer, Francis Teye Lawer; the Best Root and Tuber Farmer, Michael Kabogya; the Best Cereal Farmer, Edward Akonnor, and the Best Poultry Farmer, Great Paulina Farms. The rest were the Best Agriculture Extension Agent, Gideon Kwame Ghali; the Best Woman Farmer, Isha Obiyaa; the Best Youth Farmer, Joseph Ogbordjor, and the District's Best Male Farmer, Joseph Nyarko.  Each received a certificate and farm inputs.

The Asuogyaman District Director of Agriculture, Hilary Doe Alagbo, said the recipients went through a vigorous process which looked at the diversification and integration of their farming operations, scale of operations, innovativeness, knowledge of cultural husbandry practices, adoption of new technologies, role in the farming community, and general impression of the award winner and his or her activities.

He advised farmers in the district to avoid the indiscriminate felling of trees and bush burning to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Telling the farmers the practice had dire consequences on agriculture and food production in particular in the district this year, he said the Department of Agriculture would soon embark on intensive public sensitisation and education on bush fire control throughout the district for the citizenry to be aware of the serious implications of bush fire.

He explained that though rainfall distribution was relatively good in the minor season, the major season was a near disaster, adding “For that matter, one cannot predict what may happen next year and it makes it difficult for farmers to plan”.

“It will, therefore, be expedient for the government to partner the private sector for the provision of irrigation schemes for increased food production,” Mr Alagbo suggested.  

The Asuogyaman District Chief Executive, Mavis Akonnor, said the district assembly collaborated with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) under the Emergency Support for Rural Livelihood and Food Systems Exposed to COVID-19 (ESRFF0) project and supplied cassava processing equipment made up of cassava graters, cassava fryers and sieves, among others, to two gari and cassava dough processing groups at Osiabura and Labolabo.

In addition, she said as part of the initiative to support victims affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage, 240 bags of fertilisers were distributed to the affected farmers, which enabled them to go back to their farming activities.

The Best Farmer, Mr Kwame, thanked the assembly and the Department of Agriculture for the honour done them and hoped it would motivate not only them as award winners, but also other farmers in the district.

The event was chaired by the Tufuhene of the Akwamu Traditional Area, Nana Ofei Boadu.