AGRICULTURE

NDC chairman wins Best farmer award
A 51 year old farmer at Tanokwaem in the Offinso North District was adjudged the overall district best farmer at the 33rd National Farmers' Day Celebration in the district at Afrancho.

Date Created : 12/6/2017 2:02:59 AM : Story Author : Nana Yaw Barimah/Daily Graphic

The winner, Mr.Jean Kwame Appiah, is the Offinso North Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He received motor-king, a spraying machine, eight bags of fertilizer, twenty machetes, cassette radio, two pieces of wax print and certificate of recognition. He grows plantain, cassava, pepper, tomatoes, maize, groundnuts, rice, cashew and yam. He also rears pigs, goats, sheep, fowls and guinea fowls.

Twenty-three other farmers also received awards for their interest in agriculture that has made significant impact in their lives and others in the district.

The Best farmer, Mr. Appiah, advised politicians to desist from politicizing agriculture and encourage the youth to go into farming to increase food and cash crop production.

Addressing the gathering, the District Chief Executive, Mr. David Asare, noted that the Assembly recognized the significant contributions of the farmers in the area and would continue to provide the needed impetus to enable farmers to increase their production capacity.

CASHEW PRODUCTION

He indicated that the district was selected for cashew production as the suitable crop for the planting for food and jobs investment policy.

In pursuant of that, Mr.Asare said the assembly would from next year supply free seedlings to at least 1,500 farmers on an average of three hectares per farmer to Afrancho and Manimas zone, Akomadan and Sraneso No1, Nyamebekyere No.1, Bobra, and Dwendabi.

Mr. Asare said 1,441 farmers in the district benefitted from the "planting for food and jobs, programme and advised those beneficiary farmers to honour their indebtedness for the inputs supplied them for the expansion of the programme"

The District Agriculture Director, Mr. Anthony Amoako, earlier in his address, assured the farmers of extension officers' preparedness to provide them with the necessary technical know-how to increase food production.