‘Let Agriculture Be Your Major Source Of Livelihood’

Youth in the Tain District and for that matter Ghana have been urged to take into Agriculture as a full time employment venture as government takes steps to give the sector the needed support.

This appeal was contained in an address delivered by the District Chief Executive for Tain, Hon. Lawyer Charity AkuaForiwaa Dwommoh during the 33rd Farmers Day celebration held at Hani in the Tain District of the BrongAhafo Region on Friday.

She said Agriculture was a profitable venture and therefore appealed to the youth to direct their energies towards the sector instead of risking their lives to go through the desert to Libya where they are greeted with horrible and life threatening condition.

The District Chief Executive continued that government has prioritized the agricultural sector and is therefore taking the needed steps to make the sector more attractive especially for the youth. She mentioned government’s policies like the planting for Food and Jobs which provide certified seedlings, fertilizers and other inputs at subsidized prices. Hon. Charity Dwommoh also mention the One-District-One Factory, the One-District-One Warehouse all of which aimed at creating an economic viable agricultural sector.

On his part, the Member of Parliament for the Tain Constituency, Hon. Gabriel Osei was full of praise for Ghanaian farmers for feeding the nation over the years.

He said every profession depends on the sector and appealed to farmers to see themselves as drivers of the country. He used the opportunity to thank the people for their support during last year’s elections. Hon. Osei assured the gathering of government’s determination to fulfil all promises made during the last elections in order to alleviate the plight of the people.

He, therefore, appealed to the people to take advantage of government’s priority policies. He revealed that government will soon establish an office for the Medium and Small Loan Centre in the Tain District to make loans accessible at low interest rate for farmers to boost the sector.

In a short address, the Director of the Department of Agriculture in the Tain District, Mr. S.Y Apiiga lauded government for the various policy interventions in the Agricultural sector but was quick to appeal to government to address the challenges of the sector including roads, marketing, post-harvest loses among others.

A forty-eight year old Mr. Charles Kodie was adjudged the 2017 District Best Farmer which was under the theme “Planting for Food and Jobs”. Mr.Kodie took home a motor tricycle,half piece of cloth, knapsack sprayer among others as his prize. Other nine farmers were awarded during the ceremony.