2020 Farmers' Day celebration to focus on value addition

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoA) has announced that the 36th edition of the National Farmers’ Day celebration will place emphasis and value on all agribusiness activities such as transportation, marketing, distribution, processing and storage.

Agriculture in Ghana had over the years functioned as a mere subsistence activity, with few professionals focusing on value addition.

Speaking at the National Farmers’ Day launch, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, said Ghana’s agriculture was now transforming from subsistence and primary production to one of value addition and agribusiness.

“The expected benefits will include massive investment in the sector, job creation, market expansion, competitiveness of goods and services and a new spirit of business entrepreneurship for agriculture,” Ms Quaye noted.

The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development announced that the 2020 National Farmers’ Day celebration, which was launched in Accra yesterday, would take place at Techiman in the Bono East Region.

The event, she said, would be held under the theme: "Ensuring Agribusiness Development under COVID-19- Opportunities and Challenges."

Ms Quaye was pleased with government’s vision to reposition agriculture as the major driving force of Ghana’s development agenda.

“For us in the agriculture sector, we are excited because we are assured that our farmers and fishers can continue to go about their means of livelihood with the support of government and its partners even in times of emergencies,” she stressed.

Speaking on the greenhouse initiative that was established to enroll the youth into the agriculture sector, she indicated that the project would go far to boost the production of high-value vegetables in the country.

The intervention, she added, was projected to earn the country about $1 billion from vegetable exports by the next six to seven years.

Touching on plans to have a successful farmers' day celebration amidst the pandemic, she said the significance of the 2020 launch, among others, was that the advancement in technology was impacting agriculture positively.

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Dr Nurah Gyiele, Minister of State in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, called on all stakeholders to donate generously to make the occasion a memorable and successful one.

He said the day’s celebration was an enduring strategy to motivate farmers and rally support towards achieving a fertile partnership in the years ahead.

Dr Gyiele indicated that since the COVID-19 pandemic had been a rude awakening to all, it was important to position agriculture in a way that ensured sustainable food security and thriving agribusiness to build resilience even in times of emergency.

“We are obligated to formalise government’s appreciation for farmers despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. This is because our farmers keep embracing and lending themselves to all the technical advice and opportunities that come with government interventions such as 'Planting for Food and Job,” he stressed.

The Farmers' Day celebration was instituted by the government and people of Ghana in 1985, to honour and recognise Ghanaian industrious farmers and fishers whose efforts provided food, foreign exchange earnings, employment and raw materials to support economic development.