39TH REGIONAL AND METRO FARMERS DAY HELD IN KUMASI
The AshantiRegional Coordinating Council (Department of Agriculture) and the KumasiMetropolitan Assembly (KMA) jointly celebrated the 39th Regional andMetro Farmers Day at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi on Friday 1stDecember, 2023.
This year’s eventwas under the theme “Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Securityand Resilience”.
The event kickstarted with an Agricultural Commodity Fair at the same venue on Wednesday 29thand Thursday 30th November, 2023. On display were items along the value chain of Agric with a good numberof patrons also in attendance.
The Chairman forthe occasion, the Asafohene Acheamfour Asafo Boakye Agyemang -Bonsu II, whorepresented the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who also doubles as the Otumfuo Akwamuhenecongratulated farmers in the Ashanti Region for their hard work in ensuringthat food was always available for the populace.
He thanked thePresident H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government for their goodpolicies and support for farmers over the years.
Acheamfour AsafoBoakye Agyemang-Bonsu II however suggested to Government through the AshantiRegional Minister to as a matter of fact to reward all farmers in a specificcommunity and not only individuals in future Farmers Day Celebrations.
This he said wouldbenefit the whole community rather than one person, adding that, it was prudentto reward exceptional farmers for their hard work but if a whole community ishonoured, it will go a long way to encourage all farmers in the area.
The Asafohenesuggested that such communities may be provided with basic amenities such asschools, hospitals, potable water as well as good roads to facilitate thetransportation of food from their farms.
In a welcomeaddress read on his behalf by Mr. Francis Dwira Darko, the Metro CoordinatingDirector, the Mayor of Kumasi Hon. Sam Pyne indicated that the theme for thisyear’s celebration emphasized the urgent need to adopt smart solutions toaddress the challenges faced by the agricultural sector.
He said in the rapidly changing world, traditional methods have proven inadequate to address the increasingly complex challenges facing agriculture, citing climate change, unpredictable weather patterns, and limited resources as threat to food security and agricultural resilience.
The Mayor indicated that it was therefore essential to explore innovative approaches and technologies to ensure the sustainability and growth of the agricultural sector.
He noted that advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, precision agriculture, and blockchain played a crucial role in implementing smart solutions which supports yield maximization, loss reduction, and efficient food supply networks, and so by embracing these technologies we could enhance the sustainability of food production systems and improve farming practices.
Hon. Sam Pyne indicated that the Kumasi metropolis was a beneficiary of several interventions and investment by the Government. He said efforts were ongoing to address post-harvest losses in various sectors such as grains, fish, fruits, and vegetables, through targeted training programs for about Seven Hundred (700)market women in the metropolis.
Additionally, the Mayor noted that 10 battery cages were provided to 10 women poultry farmers, with each cage able to accommodate 120 birds.
The Kumasi Mayor commended the awarding farmers for their hard work and called on all to work towards a future where smart solutions drives sustainable food security and resilience.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei Mensah in his keynote address reiterated that agriculture still remained the main economic back bone of the country’s business development. He said government was committed to empower the local farmers on contemporary ways of farming to maximize production and also to reduce post-harvest losses.
The awards for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly were in five (5) categories namely Best Marketing Group, Best Crop farmer, Best Non-Traditional Farmer, Best Agro-chemical dealer, and overall Best Metro Farmer.
The overall Best Metro Farmer award was presented to the Amanfrom Camp Prisons in the Bantama Sub-Metro District Council. For their award, they received a Certificate, 1Tricycle, 1 Knapsack sprayer, 1 Box of Cutlass, 2 Wellington Boots, 12 litres of Weedicide and 10 Bags of Fertilizer.
The Amanfrom Camp Prison has 40 acres of Oil palm, 27 acres of Maize, 6 acres of Taroo, 6 acres of vegetables, 2 acres of plantain and 32 pigs.
The Regional Best Farmer award was presented to Nana Abena Gyamfua from Juaben Municipal.
In attendance were also the members of the Regional and Metro Security Councils, Hon. Assemblymembers, heads of department and staff of KMA, Nananom, past award winners, farmers, Agro dealers, the media, and the general public.