Nsenie (Ash), Dec. 03, GNA – The Oforikrom Municipality has established field demonstration farms to educate and train farmers on modern agricultural production techniques.
So far, twelve demonstration farms had been established as part of efforts to promote sustainable agriculture and thriving agribusiness through research, technology development, and modernization of agriculture in the Municipality.
Mr Samuel Kofi Tekpor, Municipal Director of Agriculture, who announced this said the objective was to leverage technology and modern agronomic practices to boost crop production, especially vegetables.
Speaking at this year’s farmer’s day celebrations at Nsenie, he said the directorate was also strengthening extension and other support services to farmers, processors, and traders to improve their livelihoods.
The celebration, which was held under the theme “Planting for Food and Jobs – consolidating food systems in Ghana”, saw 13 farmers receiving various awards for their roles in food production and distribution in the Municipality.
They were presented with items such as cutlasses, knapsack sprayers, wellington boots, wire mesh, organic fertilizers, plastic chairs, pumping machines, and table top fridges.
The overall municipal best farmer award went to Mr Usman Imoro and he received a tricycle, spraying machine, knapsack sprayer, refrigerator, and other farm implements.
Mr Tekpor said the Municipality was noted for its quality vegetable production since most of the farmers engaged in organic and best agricultural production practices.
He said a total of 7,146 farmers had been identified and registered to be trained on the demonstration farms to equip them with modern techniques in organic crop production.
Mr Tekpor commended farmers in the area for their hard work and said the directorate was currently promoting organic farming practices and hope most farmers in the area would adopt the technology to boost quality food production.
He said the Municipality was in the process of establishing a vegetable market to help farmers sell their produce and also help to address post-harvest.
Mr Tekpor used the occasion to appeal to chiefs in the area to allocate some portions of land especially, swampy areas where vegetables were known to thrive, to prospective farmers to farm.
Mr Abraham Kwame Antwi, Oforikrom Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), commended the government for implementing flagship programmes aimed at developing the agricultural sector, adding that farmers in the area had benefited immensely and improved their livelihoods.
He assured that the government was committed to consolidating the gains in the food systems in Ghana to help eradicate poverty and hunger in the country.
Mr Antwi called on stakeholders to rally behind the government to achieve the goal of sustainable food production in the country.
Source: Ghana News Agency