Twenty farmers honoured in the Kwabre district

Wadie-Adwumakase (Ash), Dec 3, GNA - Twenty farmers, including an agricultural extension agent were honoured for their contributions to agriculture at the Kwabre District Farmer's Day celebration at Wadie-Adwumakase on Friday.

Mr. Stephen Sulemana Azampaka, a 54-year-old farmer at Mposu, was adjudged the overall district best farmer and was presented with a 20-inch colour television set, a full piece of wax print, five cutlasses, a box of key soap, Wellington boots and a certificate. Other award winners were also presented with prizes including cutlasses, bars of key soap, wax prints, spraying machine, insecticides, Wellington boots and certificates.

In an address, Alhaji Kwasi Yeboah, Kwabre District Chief Executive, said the district has planned to invest 4.5 billion cedis next year in the youth employment programme to benefit 400 people. This, he said, would help the youth to gain employment and contribute meaningfully towards the socio-economic development. Alhaji Yeboah disclosed that the district mass cocoa spraying task force this year recruited 93 personnel to spray 2,500 hectares of cocoa farms to help control capsid and black pod diseases. The DCE said the assembly would next year award the Ankaase-Ofiano feeder road on contract under the Community-Based Rural Development Project to help farmers transport their agricultural produce to the marketing centres.

Alhaji Yeboah commended the immense contributions of farmers and fishermen over the years to the development of the country and asked them to continue with the same zeal to sustain the economy. Dr Kofi Kwansah-Filson, District Director of Agriculture said, in line with Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS), the district directorate of agriculture has embarked on a three-year programme to improve productivity in agriculture in the district. He announced that as part of the programme, over 120 women have been supported with credit facilities by the Women's World Banking in Kumasi to expand their businesses.

Mr E.A. Owusu-Ansah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwabre West and Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General, urged the people to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme to enable them to receive quality health care. Nana Osei Hwedie, chief of Wadie-Adwumakase, who presided at the function, appealed to the government to provide incentive packages like motorbikes to enable agricultural extension agents to enable them to get to the rural areas to impart their expertise to farmers to help increase their yield.