Farmers appeal to government workers on strike actions

Nkawie (Ash), Dec. 2, GNA - Farmers have appealed to government workers who provide essential services to the public to always take into consideration the plight of farmers before they embark on strike actions.

Mr Philip Abayori, President of the National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association of Ghana (NFFAWAG), said it was sad some government workers such as doctors, nurses and teachers who got their food from the sweat and toil of poor farmers often resorted to long strike actions without considering its effects on farmers and their dependants.

Speaking at the 22nd National Farmers Day celebrations at Nkawie on Friday, Mr Abayori said such strike actions often compounded the plight of poor and vulnerable farmers and their dependants who lived in deprived communities under deplorable conditions. He appealed to government workers to always undertake deep reflections before embarking on any strike action.

He urged the government to take steps to reverse the trend of poverty in rural areas where farmers lived and called for scholarship schemes for the children of farmers and fishermen.

Mr Abayori suggested the establishment of an agricultural fund to enable individuals and companies have easy access to credit facilities for the development of agriculture in the country. He also called for improvement in agricultural inputs and establishment of storage facilities to address post harvest losses while efforts should be made to establish haulage pool to enable farmers transport their produce to marketing centres and ports at reasonable cost. Mr Abayori also expressed concern about the importation of unwholesome and poisonous agro-chemicals and called on the government to take immediate steps to control the importation and sale of agro-chemicals to ensure the safety of farm produce. 02 Dec 02