The Talensi District Assembly together with the department of Food and Agriculture celebrated the 38th National Farmers Day, on Friday, 2nd December, 2022 at the Tongo-Beo school park in the Talensi district of the upper East Region with a call to improve production across the agriculture value chain.
The District Chief Executive of the Talensi District assembly, Hon. Thomas Duanab Wuni in his address to farmers and industry players, encouraged them to take advantage of government policies in the sector to invest in the farming sector.
‘’ I wish to inform all those gathered here today that, the Ministry of Trade and Industry through the District Entrepreneurial Development Agency have adequate skill development training modules in the district that our farmers can take advantage to improve agriculture production through branding, packaging, advertisement and a host of others that add value to products and services. To ensure that our produce remains and flourish in the competitive market of agriculture, produce value addition is the surest bet to survive and must be of the priority to farmers”.
Hon, Pearson Wuni said though the 2022 farming season has been bedeviled with several challenges including unstable rainfall pattern and high cost of agricultural inputs, “government’s Planting for Food and Jobs (Pjf), Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small Scale Mining Project (Glrmp), Shell Opportunities Project (Sop), Demonstrations and Farmers Yield Schools and Extension Farm and Home Visits which is ongoing in the Talensi District is yielding results.”
According to the district director for the department of Agriculture, Mr. Suleman Matthew, “the government’s fertilizer and seeds subsidy program was instituted to enable farmers use the recommended rates of fertilizer to get the potential yield of the various crops. “During the period under review, quantities and subsidize inputs received were low due to soaring prices in the world market.
This year’s Farmers day saw 17 farmers receive awards in various categories; the district over all best farmer went to crop and livestock farmer, Mr. Jonathan Attiah who is also the Chief of Balungu in the Talensi traditional area. He went home with an Apsonic tricycle Motor King, 1 pair of Wallington boots, 1 cutlass, 1 knapsack sprayer, 1 bag of organic fertilizer and a certificate. The 2nd Runner up also went home with similar items. The rest of the awardees went home with knapsack sprayers, wellington boots, cutlasses, mattresses, bags of fertilizer, and other assorted items.
The adjudged district best farmer in his speech said farmers in the district have the capacity to feed the district and beyond but the lack of ready market is discouraging them to put in their best. ‘’Farmers have a big problem. Whiles other works can go on strike, farmers cannot go on a strike because our work is crucial and with the introduction of the Planting for Food and Jobs we had a lot of food without ready market. So the farmers have the capacity to farm but we do not have ready market to buy our produce.’’ The theme for this year’s celebration was, ‘’Accelerating Agricultural Development Through Value Addition”
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