AGRICULTURE

Ahanta West District honours 19 farmers, fishermen
Mr Moses Paa Kwesi Ogoe, 52, emerged the Best Farmer among 19 farmers and fishermen in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region at this year’s Farmers\' Day celebration at Himakrom .

Date Created : 12/5/2011 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : GNA

Mr Ogoe, a cash crop and livestock farmer, has several rubber, oil palm, coconut, and timber plantations and cultivates plantain, cassava, vegetables and fruits.

He also rears rabbits, sheep and goats and does bee-keeping as well.

For his prize, Mr Ogoe took home a motorized spraying machine, bicycle, radio cassette, wellington boots, machetes and a mobile phone.

The other award winning famers also received radio cassettes, wellington boots, machetes and mobile phones.

Three women, Madam Joana Koomson, a fishmonger, Madam Millicent Cudjoe a maize farmer and Madam Georgina Yankey were also among the award winners.

Togbe Madugu and Osagyefo Stephen Rowel took the prize for marine and aquaculture fishermen respectively.

In an address, the Ahanta West District Chief Executive, Mr Joseph Dofoyena, said the District Assembly had consulted the Food Research

Institute to train 30 bakers to process the surplus cassava produced in the District for the baking of bread and other pastries.

He said this was to ensure that the surplus did not go to waste.

While encouraging the people in the District to seek employment in the Oil and Gas sector, he urged them not to abandon their farming and fishing activities else the district would be at a loss.

Mr Paul Ofori Achempong, District Agricultural Director, entreated the farmers in the area to consult the Agricultural Directorate for scientific expertise in farming to raise production.

He advised the farmers not to neglect the cultivation of plantain and maize else very soon the area might import food.

Mr Acheampong said cassava was in abundance with the production of 35,827 metric tonnes per year with a surplus of 10,549.
Items exhibited at the ceremony included livestock, poultry, cassava, fish, coconut and soap prepared with citrollena leaves.

A producer of soap, Mr John Donkor, said the by-product of the soap served as manure on farms.

Chiefs, queen mothers, heads of departments, and assembly members were among a cross-section of the area’s residents who attended the function.