National best farmer praises govt for pragmatic policies

Agona Nkum (C/R), Dec 10, GNA - Madam Efuah Frimponmaah, the 2004 National Best Farmer, has commended the government for adopting pragmatic policies and programmes to modernise agriculture in the country.

She said the importation of tractors and accessories, the mass cocoa spraying exercise, the introduction of hi-tech fertilisers and implements and extension services were indicators of the sound programme to inject new blood into agriculture sector.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Agona Nkum in the Central Region on Thursday, Madam Frimponmaah asked the government to give priority to agro processing to enable the farmers to earn more money from their sweat and toil and to reduce rural poverty. She noted that the government alone could not ensure improvement in the agriculture sector without the collective efforts of farmers, organisations and companies in the sector.

The National Best Farmer appealed to the government to endeavour to put in place effective measures to assist school leavers who could not continue their education to acquire skills or take farming as a vocation to enable them to lead decent lives.

Madam Frimponmaah pointed out that some youth interested in farming had been prevented from doing so because of problems they encounter in land acquisition and financial constraints.

She appealed to farmers to take the education of their children seriously since it was the key to their future success. The National Best Farmer also commended Ghanaians for exercising restraint before, during and after the elections on Tuesday.