40TH FARMERS’ DAY CELEBRATION MARKED IN KUMASI METROPOLIS
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly marked the 40th Farmers’ Day Celebration at Ohwim in the Bantama Sub-Metro District Council on Friday November 8, 2024 under the theme “Building Climate-Resilient Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security”.
Mayor of Kumasi Hon. Samuel Pyne in his address at the event emphasized that climate change was no longer an abstract concept since it affects our communities directly with erratic rainfall patterns, extreme temperatures, droughts, and floods which disrupts agricultural production across Ghana and Beyond.
He said the devastation caused by recent floods and storms underscores the urgency of making the agricultural systems resilient to climate challenges, adding that, this resilience required deliberate action including the promotion of climate-resilient crops, improved irrigation and water management, as well as the enhancement of soil health.
Hon. Sam Pyne noted that Government has initiated several programs to promote sustainable agriculture and food security such as ‘Planting for Food and Jobs Phase II’, under which over 450farmers in the Kumasi Metropolis have registered.
Additionally, he said through the Ghana Agricultural and Agribusiness Platform (GHAAP), more than 320 bags of NPK and Urea fertilizers have been distributed to registered farmers.
Furthermore, the City Mayor noted that the KMA has trained 60 women in Moshie Zongo and Amanfrom to access credit from financial institutions such as Opportunity International Bank, which provided assistance to one group being recognized at this year’s Farmers’ Day.
Hon. Samuel Pyne said the KMA has also trained 520 market women in Bantama and Race Course on grain preservation,95 women in Asafo Market on fish post-harvest loss reduction, and 120 women in Bantama on fruits and vegetables post-harvest loss reduction.
He implored the farmers to accept and practice modernized agriculture as a way of increasing national production output and also maximize their incomes since according to him, farming becomes a lucrative venture when the right methodologies and approaches are adopted by farmers to increase production.
ELECTION2024
The Mayor subsequently advised all and sundry to desist from comments and actions that will jeopardize the stability and peace of the Metropolis and Nation at large and also conduct their campaign peacefully devoid of conflict and political tension in this years’ general elections on December 7th, 2024.
The awards for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly were in five (6) categories namely Best Agro Processing Group, Best Crop farmer, Best Livestock Farmer, Best Poultry Farmer, Best Agro Input Dealer, and the overall Best Metro Farmer.
The Overall Metro Best Farmer award was presented to Mr. Michael Oppong Mensah from Ohwim who received a certificate, tricycle, 4 Knapsack Sprayers, 15 Cutlasses, 8 Wellington Boots,12 liters of Weedicides, 10 bars of Keysoap, 5 bags of Fertilizer and 6 Liquid fertilizers.
Other winners included Nyame Tumi Agro Processing for Best Agro Processing Group, Daniel Badu as Best Crop Farmer, KK Dwomoh Farms as Best Poultry Farmer, Musah Alhassan Abass as Best Livestock Farmer, and Dan Boakye Trading Enterprise as Best Agrochemical Dealer.
The chairman for the occasion was the chief of Ohwim Nana Kusi Baayen. In attendance were heads of department and units, the clergy, security services, community members, school children among others.