Vegetable producer from La wins AMA Best Farmer

Accra, Dec. 4, GNA - Mr Enoch Mensah, a 55-year old large scale vegetable producer at La has been adjudged the best farmer for the Accra Metropolis at this year's Farmers' Day celebrations. For his prize, Mr Mensah took home a set of furniture, a bicycle, a stereo player, a spade and cutlass as well as cartons of assorted energy drink and a certificate of recognition.

Other 29 farmers, who emerged at various categories including fishing, livestock, processing and other agriculture related activities, also received items such as refrigerators, wheelbarrows, Wellington boots, spades, cutlasses, hoes, chemicals, spraying machines and a certificate each as prizes.

This year's celebration, which was the 25th in the series, was under the theme: "Accelerated Agricultural Modernization for Food Security and Economic Transformation".

Addressing a gathering at La-Bawaleshie Presby School Park at East Legon in Accra on Friday, Mr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, Chief Executive, Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) called for dynamic and transformational methods of farming and fishing to enable the country to catch up with the developed world. Mr Vanderpuije said the sector was already lagging behind because of traditional farming and fishing methods and called for a holistic approach to make agricultural sector to meet international standards. He said government had put in place measures such as subsidized fertilizers, tractors acquisition on flexible payment terms, premix fuel among others to make agriculture attractive to especially the youth to better their livelihoods and contribute to the nation's food basket. The AMA Chief Executive advocated for the revival of the backyard gardening concept in the metropolis to serve as buffers for families. He noted that farm lands in Accra had been taken over by the alarming rate of estate development affecting crop and livestock production in the metropolis.

He said this notwithstanding, the Agricultural Department of the AMA had put in place interventions to increase income and reduce poverty among its farmers as well as ensure constant growth of the sector. Mr Vanderpuije said one major intervention to boost the sector is the Strategic Environmental Assessment Programme, which aims at protecting farm lands from degradation, review of agric-related bye-laws to regulate agricultural activities, institutionalization of urban and peri-urban guidelines to promote and encourage home and city gardening. He called on all to support efforts of government to revive the sector. Mr Ebenezer Soli, acting Director of Food and Agriculture at AMA said contrary to perceptions, Accra was a major agricultural stakeholder producing some of the best tomatoes and other produce on the market. It is believed that 19.5 per cent of Accra residents engage in agriculture.