Tamale, the Northern regional capital is all set to host the 2018 and 34th edition of the National Farmer’s Day celebration.
The National Farmer’s Day is seeking to award the best and most deserving farmers and fishers in the country.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto says food prices are of record low in the history of Ghana.
According to him, this is as a result of the success of government’s programmes and policies, especially the ‘Planting for Food and Job’.
Speaking to GBC’s Bubu Klinogo ahead of Farmer’s Day Friday, Dr. Afriyie Akoto said the distribution of improved seeds, fertilizers and implements has helped a lot.
On Farmer’s Day tomorrow in Tamale, the Minister said a surprise package awaits the winner. He asked farmers to look forward to better days ahead.
In a related development, the Afigya Kwabre District of Ashanti will award 20 farmers at the district’s Farmers Day taking place Friday at Afigya.
In an interview with our Regional Correspondent, Akosua Frema Frempong the District Director of Agriculture, Peter Kwame Amoako, said every farmer in the district is a potential winner.
There is however a criteria for the selection for the best farmer, which includes, adoption of improved technology, size or stock of the farm, farmer’s contribution to the community as well as adoption rate of environmental sanitation.
On whether farmers in the district still take keen interest the farmer’s day celebration, Mr. Amoako said the interest is still high.
He advocated an improvement in the awards to deserving farmers during the event.
Touching on the ratio between Agriculture extension agent to farmers, Mr. Amoako maintained that extension agents be employed as a matter of urgency for Ghana to meet the FOA standard of one extension officer to 500 farmers.
In response to views of a section of the public that the National Farmers Day should not be a holiday, Mr. Amoako said farmers are the backbone of the economy and it is therefore not out of place for the event to be a public holiday.
