Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has launched the 2019 edition of the national farmers day celebration which will be held in the Volta region, in Accra yesterday.
The occasion was launched with an assurance from government on reaping more benefits from numerous interventions and initiative in the sector.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie, Minister of Food and Agriculture, said the bumper harvest recorded by farmers last year was evident of the strides initiated by government for the sector.
This year’s celebration, the 35th of its kind, would be held in Ho, the Volta Regional Capital.
Farmers from the remaining 15 regions would participate in the celebration in December 6, 2019 under the theme, “Enhancing Small Scale Agriculture Towards Agribusiness Development.”
The occasion which started in 1984 mainly to award farmers and fisher folks who have worked tirelessly to contribute the growth of the Ghanaian economy would be marking its 35th edition come December.
Speaking at the launch on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 in Accra, Mr. Ofori-Atta observed that farmers and fisher folks were the backbone of the Ghanaian economy.
He said Government would continue to work hard to safeguard agriculture.
According to him, Ghana has the potential to produce food to supply the whole of West Africa and still have surplus for exports.
But that, he said, could only be achieved through innovative means such as the flagship Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ).
He said over the last two and half years, Government has invested an amount of $1.4 billion into the PFJ scheme.
Through hard work, according to him, the New Patriotic Party’s administration has been able to increase growth from 3.6 percent in 2016 to 6.1 percent in 2018.
That notwithstanding, he said, Government recognized that Ghanaian farmers and fisher folks still had some challenges that needed to be addressed, adding that Government sees agriculture as a catalyst for economic growth.
He charged the national planning committee of this year’s award to come up with innovative pa
Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, explained that “…the Government of H.E. Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo continues to prioritize agriculture and demonstrate a firm commitment to the improvement of the sector.
“This became evident within thefirst six months of the stewardship of the President when he launched the Planting for Food and Jobs campaign at
Goaso, now the Regional capital of the newly created Ahafo Region,” he added.
He noted that the action by the President, signaled the dawn MoFA new era of Ghana’s Agriculture, after a period of decline and uncertainty.
He said Government would continue to invest in agriculture.
Source: ritefmonline.org
