Consult farmers on rewards – GAWU tells gov’t

The General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU) of Ghana has advised the government and sponsors of the Farmers’ Day Celebration to consult farmers on the kind of prizes and awards they would prefer.

According to them, it is a waste of resources for the government and sponsors to award these farmers only for them to return the rewards after the Farmers’ Day celebration.

The General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU), Edward Karewe revealing this stated, “The word award means you did not earn it but when you’re giving a gift to somebody, you need to be mindful of the person’s taste and preferences. We have had complaints over the years and instances where farmers have returned the awards given them”.

Making his point further, he likened these awards to certificates awarded at the end of one’s study period. “Would accept a certificate for a course other than what you offered on your graduation day? You will not and would even be saddened by that”.

On his authority, some of the awards given the farmers are just a duplication of what they already own.

“How can you give a house to someone who already has houses? You duplicate the award in the long run. Farmers are supposed to be happy on such an auspicious day but end up becoming unhappy because their time has been wasted. You give the person boots which they don’t need”.

He noted that gone are the days when you just gift someone anything you prefer but one should be mindful of the taste and preferences of those they are rewarding.

The General Secretary of GAWU stated, “There’s been a mismatch to the needs of the farmer” and advised the government and sponsors of the Farmers’ Day celebration to consult farmers on their needs before settling on the awards to be rewarded.

The 36th Farmers’ Day celebration will take place in Techiman in the Bono East region. This is to acknowledge the hard work and produce gotten from the region. This year’s theme for the celebration is "Agribusiness Development under COVID-19 – Opportunity and Challenges.”

The National Farmers’ Day has come a long way and is definitely now a prominent event on our national calendar. From a machete, a pair of Wellington boots and a transistor radio as prizes for the National Best Farmer, the event has grown to the point where the best farmer now receives the prize of the money equivalent of a two-bedroom house at his or her preferred location.