Antwikrom, (B/A)-Ghana, Dec. 1, GNA – The Sunyani Municipal Assembly has honoured 12 deserving farmers for their contributions towards increased food productivity in the Municipality.
Mr Frank Kwadwo Ayisi, a-49-year-old Farmer at Nanketiwa, near Wawasua was adjudged the overall Municipal Best Farmer.
He is into crops and livestock and has 7,000 layers, 2,400 cockerels, 1,500 Siso birds, 2,000 broilers, 15 turkey, 13 sheep, 24 goats and 52 cattle.
Mr Ayisi has acres of varieties of vegetable farms and economic crops including cashew, coconut, oil palm, cocoa, mango and agro-forestry as well as food stuffs.
For his prize, he received a tricycle (motor king) machine and some cutlasses.
Mr Tijani Ahmed, 37 years and a farmer at Tanoano was the second-best farmer and he received a polytank, tabletop refrigerator and cutlasses.
He also has 3,500 layers, 15 sheep, 17 cattle, 30 local birds, 500 guinea fowls and acres of food and economic crops.
A 61-year-old female farmer, Mrs Theresah Adu Boateng, from Kwasimfum, was the second runner up and she received a tabletop refrigerator, spraying machine, cutlasses and wellington boots.
Mrs Baoteng also has 300 layers, 12 cockerels, nine goats, 12 local birds as well as acres of food and economic crops.
Special awards were also given to best female, promising, cocoa, cashew and compact farmers and they also received similar awards ranging from cutlasses, wax print, spraying machines, key bar soap and wellingtons boots.
Addressing the farmers at a durbar held at Antwikrom in the Municipality, Mr John Ansu Kumi, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, stressed the government’s commitment to modernise agriculture and to make farming more attractive for the youth.
He advised the farmers to take advantage of the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PfFJs) programme, farmers had the opportunity to access credit facilities and asked those who had still not registered to do so.
Mr Kumi praised the gallant farmers for their contributions towards strengthening national food productivity, saying the government really appreciated and recognized the immeasurable contributions of farmers towards turning the nation’s economy round.
Earlier, Mr Patrick Dela Newman, the Sunyani Municipal Director of Agriculture, called on the farmers to take farming as a business venture, access credit and expand their farms.
He also commended the farmers for their contributions to enhanced food productivity in the municipality, Bono Region and the nation by extension.
