Mr Solomon Kojo Kusi, 2020 National Best Farmer, has called on the Government and industry players in the agricultural sector in the country to support and appreciate the activities of farmers and fishermen.
He pointed out that farmers and fishermen have played an immense role in the economy through the provision of food and other related endeavours and for that matter, their efforts should be appreciated.
Speaking on Spice Fm’s Adzekye Mu Nsem in Takoradi ahead of the 2021 National Farmers’ Day celebration, he lamented that regardless of the sacrifice they make farmers go through some frustrating challenges.
He mentioned difficulty in accessing financial support from financial institutions to support their activities as the major challenge farmers’ face in the country.
“Accessing financial support in this country is very difficult as the banks are not ready to offer support to farmers. The duration for the payment of loans is inadequate which is another setback to our work. Little has been done to support farmers and fishermen in the country”, he stated.
He also stated that farmers sometimes struggle to get guarantors to guarantee for loans and grants to support their work and even when they get the interest that comes with the loans by the financial institutions were too much for them to make a profit and pay the loans.
He, therefore, called on the financial institutions to intensify their publicity on the revised processes of accessing grants and loans.
Mr Kusi contended that with the advent of the COVID-19, farmers continue to support the economy by making food available to the populace in the face of the lockdown period, however, farmers receive little support for their contributions.
Mr Kusi applauded the Government for the introduction of programs like, Planting for Food and Jobs which has added value to the farming activities.
He, therefore, called on the youth to develop an interest in agriculture and take advantage of the opportunities it offers which he believed can help to reduce the rising graduate unemployment in the country.
Story: Bernidicta Ackney
