By Nathaniel Nartey
More than 150 farmers are to receive awards at this Year’s National Farmers Day ceremony. The Overall Best Farmer is to receive a cash prize of GH₵ 600,000, while the First and Second runner-ups take home a Tractor and Double Cabin pick-up vehicle.
This was revealed to GBC News by the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Bagbara Tanko who said all is set for the ceremony on Friday.
Mr. Tanko told Nathaniel Nartey that the Ministry has taken steps to ensure that the host Community benefits from the Overall Best Farmers’ Award.
“The Best Farmer who wins has to submit a proposal detailing how he is going to expand his farming enterprise and be mindful of Corporate social responsibilities in his community”.
Responding to whether such a directive will benefit the farmer instead of his community, Mr Tanko said “the farmer will benefit, he can expand his farm. What we are looking forward to seeing in the proposal is that he operates in a Community and recruits hands on the farm, they will benefit from their salaries and improve their households. We also want to see that at least you are drilling a borehole in your Community, something tangible that the Community can relate with.
Mr.Tanko explained the selection process for the awards.
“Normally a technical selection team is constituted from the University of Ghana, KNUST, University of Cape Coast. So these Professors from the Research Departments visit the farmers whose names were submitted and interview them, see what they were doing on the grounds and based on that marks were scored”, according to PRO of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Bagbara Tanko.
