130 farmers and fishermen honoured in Central Region

Nsuaem-Kyekyewere (C/R), Nov 8, GNA - A total of 130 farmers and fishermen in the Central Region were honoured for their hard work during the 24th Central Region National Farmers Day celebrations held at Nsuaem-Kyekyewere.

Nana Obeng Nyakoh III, 54, Chief of Dunkwa On-Offin emerged over all best farmer and took home a corn mill, sewing machine, 14 inch colour Television set, ice chest, Wellington boot, a full piece of wax print, a stool and ten bars of "key soap". Mr Kwame Gyan, from Apam in the Gomoa West District was the best fisherman and received a deep freezer refrigerator, radio cassette prayer and fishing nets.

The other award winners received various items ranging from bicycles, Willington boots, Television Sets, Fridges to wax prints. Nana Ato Arthur, Central Regional Minister, who addressed the farmers and fishermen said out of an amount of 2.717.5 million dollars donor assistance received by the government this year, 132.2 million dollars went into the Agricultural sector. He said the government has done a lot to address human resource development to manage modern technologies and scientific farming for increased production.

Nana Ato Arthur noted that, adequate policies and programmes introduced by the government, such as the mass cocoa spraying, medium and small scale business loans, reshaping of feeder roads in farming communities and the National Health Insurance Scheme have helped the farmers to increase productivity.

The Regional Minister said the Capitation grant, Metro Mass Transport, the National Youth Employment Programmes and others had been implemented to enable the poor to manage their income and lead a decent life style.

Nana Ato Arthur urged the people not to see their political opponent as enemies to ensure peaceful elections on December 7. Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Education, Science and Sport and MP for Assin South, urged cocoa farmers to expand their farms because the government would continue paying higher producer prices for it.

He said the NPP government under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would offer free secondary education for Ghanaians and urged them to vote him into power.

Mr Justice Amoah, Central Regional Director of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) said food and vegetables production had increased this year, resulting in downward prices on the markets. He said the Export Marketing and Quality Awareness Project (EMQAP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would set up ten experimental farms of new varieties of pineapples at Gomoa Nsuaem on pilot basis. Nana Tsibu Asare, paramount chiefs of Assin Attandansu and Nana Kwame Nkyi, Omanhene of Assin Apimanim, who jointly chaired the function appealed to the government to assist the youth financially, to enable them to go into farming.