BONO REGION CELEBRATES OUTSTANDING FARMERS AT 39TH NATIONAL FARMERS’ DAY

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Mr. Peter Kwadwo Gyan, a 57-year-old farmer and catechist of the Sebreni Presbyterian Church near Drobo, has been named the Best Farmer in the Bono Region during the 39th National Farmers’ Day celebration at Akrobi-Wenchi.

The 2023 event was celebrated under the theme “Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security And Resilience”.

With an impressive 27 years of farming experience, Mr. Gyan cultivates a diverse range of crops, including cocoa, coconut, maize, plantain, cocoyam, vegetables, and cash crops, alongside his livestock production.

In recognition of his exceptional dedication, Mr. Gyan was honored with a tricycle and other valuable farm inputs. Comfort Asante from Chiraa received recognition as the Best Female Farmer, Atta Kwabena Tangba from Tangba (Nkonsia) was crowned the Best Physically Challenged Farmer in the region, and Musah Nuhu of Krakrom received the award for the Best Livestock Farmer.

The celebration also acknowledged several farmers in the cocoa and fish farming industries for their invaluable services to agriculture in the region.

Additionally, twelve distinguished farmers from the Wenchi Municipality were acknowledged for their outstanding contributions to agriculture in the Municipality.

Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister, emphasized the importance of adaptive innovations and technologies in the evolving agricultural landscape.

She stressed the need to empower farmers with smart solutions for large-scale production, citing precision farming, agric-tech, efficient water management, and crop diversification as key components.

Madam Owusu-Banahene highlighted the significance of investing in research and development, providing farmers with tools and knowledge to enhance productivity while preserving the environment.

She underscored that achieving sustainable food security is a responsibility for future generations and advocated for eco-friendly practices, support for organic farming, and building a robust agricultural sector resilient to climate challenges.

Mr. Dennis Amenga Abugri, the Bono Regional Director of Agriculture, pointed out the input credit system as a smart solution to address the issue of limited access to credit and agricultural financing under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) 2.0 initiative.

He explained that beneficiary farmers can rely on accredited aggregators for essential inputs on credit, eliminating the need to worry about securing credit for operations.

In an interview on the sidelines, Mr. Gyan called for increased governmental support for farmers, especially the youth willing to engage in farming but lacking necessary resources.

He suggested introducing various forms of motivation, such as reducing fertilizer prices and making farmlands more accessible to encourage more young individuals to contribute to the nation’s food security and economic growth through farming.

Osagyefo Ampem Anye Amoanpong Tabrako III, Wenchi Manhene, appealed to the government to help establish a factory dedicated to the processing of cashew.

This move, he believed, would not only benefit the people but also contribute to the economic growth of the country, as opposed to simply exporting the raw cashew beans.