'Farmers' day must be national day of mourning'

A former president of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Mohammed Adams Nasiru, has labeled the national farmers' day celebration as a national day of mourning, saying government has not done enough to help farmers in the country.

According to him, there is nothing good to celebrate in the agricultural sector and called on government to show more commitment to the sector and stop making unfulfilled promises.

“I am a three-time award winner and my plight as a farmer is worse than before, as I speak to you… I don’t have access to credits, I don’t have access to good inputs and fertilizers and other agricultural equipment so as we celebrate let us also take a sober reflection… to advance our course as an association.

“But some of us will describe the national farmers' day as a national mourning because people have lost their farms to bush fires, the farmers cannot access their own local market, importation of rice has not reduced, poultry farmers are competing with imported chicken… so we need to do more as a nation but as it is now I don’t think we are making any meaningful contribution as a nation to the agricultural sector,” Mr. Nasiru told Morning Starr host Nii Arday Clegg, Friday.

The National Farmers’ Day is commemorated each year on the first Friday of December to honour Farmers in the country.

Open gatherings are held in district and regional capitals across Ghana to award prizes to deserving farmers and fishers.

This year’s National Farmers’ Day celebration is on the theme: “Transform Ghana: Invest in Agriculture.'