By Ishmeal Newton Ogah:
The National Farmers Day was instituted thirty-one years ago to award hardworking farmers across the country and encourage them to work even harder in order to create employment for themselves as well as to help sustain the Ghanaian economy.
But the 2015 Eastern Regional best farmer, Mr. Emmanuel Duah has belittled the award given to the regional winners in the December 4th National Farmers’ Day event held at Aburi in the Eastern Region. An obviously unhappy Mr. Duah said the farmers deserved a much better reward as compared to what was given them. He said government should have given them a better and more valuable asset like a pick- up or KIA truck rather than the ‘mere’ cutlasses, a wheelbarrow, a tricyle, a table-top fridge, two packs of roofing sheets and a pair of Wellington boots that were presented to him for instance.
Mr. Emmanuel Duah who took the position of the Best Farmer category in the Eastern Region, has 160 acres of cocoa farm, 100 acres of oil palm, 22 acres of maize farm, 2 acres of cassava and also into animal husbandry.
According to the best farmer, he began farming since the year 1990 as a result of inadequate financial resources to continue his education. He subsequently underwent fitting apprenticeship for three years but lacked the resources to open his own shop, a situation that prompted him to go into farming, adding that “all these have rendered me with no choice than go into farming,” he said.
Emmanuel Duah who is married with seven children who are in all in school said farmers did not command the due respect in the country and are neglected in all policy implementation. That is not all; he said institutions like banks are also refusing to give out loans to farmers.
Nevertheless, Mr. Duah says he does not regret making farming his profession.
Source: ritefmonline.org
