Prestea Huni-valley Municipal Assembly Holds 34th National Farmer’s Day Celebration

A Chattered accountant Mr. Samuel William Debby has emerged the Municipal best farmer for 2018 in the Prestea Huni-valley Municipality.

The 34th National Farmer’s Day Celebration which was held at Petepom, a farming community within the Prestea Huni-valley municipality on Friday, 7th December, 2018 saw the 55-year-old farmer took away a tricycle, locally called ‘aboboyaa’, a double door fridge, a 42inch plasma TV, a spraying machine, a sewing machine, a radio set, five bags of fertilizer, two wheelbarrows, four cutlasses, two watering cans, three shovels, a box of soap, eight pieces of cloths, a box of weedicide and three wellington boots at the event.

The first and second runner-up went to Rev. Richard Bedzoe of Huni-valley and Mr. Benjamin Odoom of Brakwaline respectively, the other award winners were Mr. Kingsley Kwesi Andoh of Huni-valley, Mr. Elvis Gyetuah of Tarkwa Bremang, Mr. Justus Atsu Addy of Bepoh, Mr. Kweku Manu of Tarkwa Bremang, Mr. Charles Osei Amoako of Insu, Nana Nicholas Ntiako of Jerusalem Esikuma, Ms Hannah Morrison of Bonsawire, Mr. Peter Painstil of Atwereboanda, Ms Veronica Bassanyi of Himan, Mr. Kwame Nyame of Petepom, Janet Bota of Boakrom, Mr. Anthony Asamoah of Fantikrom, Sompa vegetable Co-operative society of Amoanda and a special award was given to Nana Tawiah Appiah III of Petepom

The chief executive for Prestea Huni-valley Municipal, Hon. Mozart Kwaku Owuh addressing this year’s Farmers’ Day, which was on the theme: “Agriculture; Moving Ghana Beyond Aid”, attributed the creation of jobs across the country and the export of plantain to neighboring countries to government’s designed and implemented programme Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) and Planting for Export and Rural Development (PFERD), adding that, 69 metric tons of rice which was $3m during the Ex president Mahama’s time has now changed since Akufo-Addo became president.

Hon Mozart kwaku Owuh disclosed that, the assembly is working tirelessly to provide farmers with 100,000 oil palm seedlings which will aid in smooth operation of the Oil Palm Processing factory which will commence in 2019 at Prestea Eyinam under the One district One factory (1D1F) policy.

That notwithstanding, he said the assembly will supply 300,000 cocoa seedlings to farmers to improve cocoa production in the municipality to enable Ghana attain its target of exporting over one million metric tons of cocoa beans.

In her speech, Hon. Mrs. Lawyer Barbara Oteng Gyasi the Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni-Valley, who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources applauded the farmers and stakeholders in the municipality on their effort towards 'Planting for food and jobs' policy been implemented by Akuffo- Addo led administration.

She further assured the farmers of her continuous support, investment and additional cocoa centre for the Municipality to add to the already existing one at Huni-Valley which will erase the difficulties farmers goes through accessing chemicals and fertilizers from Cocoa Offices.

Mr. Gabriel Ajaho, the Municipal Agric director in his remarks, congratulated all farmers for their contribution towards the GDP of the nation and stated that “it is about time we have to give proper recognition to farmers and the agriculture sector”, he advised the youth not to recoil from agric activities.

A total of 2,600 farmers benefited from Planting for Food and Jobs in the Municipality, this was realized through the collated manual and electronic database of all farmers in the Municipality. The farmers were drawn from Insu, Abosso, Ayensukrom, Yareyeya, Nyamebekyere, Samahu, Kofi Gyan, Akotoo, Banahu. Farmers capacity were built on cocoa, butter productions, soap making, livestock, etc.

In attendance were Nana Kwaku Appiah III, Chief of Patepom, Nana Nteboah Prah IV, Chief of Hman-Prestea, Nana Kwasi Sompre, Chief of Bogoso, , Mr. Abiam Danso, NPP Prestea Huni-Valley Chairman, Mr. Abdul Razak, Goldfields Ghana, Mr. Robert Gyenfi, Golden Star Bogoso/Prestea Ltd, Mr. Abutiate, Fiaseman Rural Bank, Mr. John Enimil, Immediate Past Municipal Best Farmer, Supt. Adjei-Nimo, Prestea District Police Commander, Ins. Berko, Bogoso Police Unit, Hon. Emmanuel Ennor Arthur, 2nd Vice Constituency Chairman, Hon. Francis Abeiku Yankah, NADMO Director, over 32 Assembly Members, Staff of Assembly, the Media among other dignitaries.

Nana Kwaku Appiah III, chief of Petepom