The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has named Mr George Nana Nketsia Blay, a farmer at Ntankoful near Sekondi as the overall Best Farmer in this year’s National Farmers’ Day Celebration.
He was awarded a tricycle (aboboyaa), bags of fertilizers, machetes, radio set, piece of cloth and other prizes.
The celebration which is celebrated annually to honour hardworking farmers’ and fishermen of Ghana took place at the Ekuase Park in Sekondi under the theme, “Planting for Food and Jobs – Consolidating Food Systems In Ghana”.
Addressing the gathering, the Metropolitan Director of Agriculture, Mr Daniel Asimenu stated that, the agriculture and fisheries sectors play important role in the lives of people and national development which also contributes to food security and employment.
“These two sectors provide employment and income for the bulk of Ghana’s population as well as raw materials for our industries. It is a fact that apart from the production of raw materials for our industries, agriculture has also employed about 60% of our population”, he emphasized.
Mr Amesinu further mentioned that agriculture has helped to reduce poverty as the development of the sector was a priority for the Government of Ghana and has been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy.
Mr Amesinu recounted how agriculture has provided both direct and indirect employment in the Metropolis, estimating about 21 per cent of the population in the latest report from the 2010 Population and Housing Census (PHC).
Mr George Nketisah Blay, in an interview with journalists at the sidelines of the event, called on the government to continue to support farmers’ with the supply of seedlings, fertilizers amongst others.
He, however, lamented on the poor attitude of the youth towards agriculture and called on the youth in the country, especially those in the Metropolis to embrace agriculture as a vocation and put a stop to searching for white-collared jobs.
Story: Benedicta Ackney
