Western Region: Disable Farmer Is Best Farmer In Mpohor District

A 51-year-old disable farmer, Kojo Nkrumah from Adum Trebuom, was adjudged the best District Crop farmer in the 34th District Farmer's Day Celebration at Angu in the Mpohor District in the Western Region.

Kojo Nkrumah owns a large hectares of food Crops and employs tens of farm workers.

The occasion under the Theme *AGRICULTURE : MOVING GHANA BEYOND AID* was held at Angu a farming community and attended by a record crowd of participants largely due to the Government's flagship program *Planting for food and jobs*w which many farmers have benefitted.

The Member of Parliament for the Mpohor Constituency , Honourable Alex Agyekum and the District Chief Executive for Mpohor ,Honourable Ignatius Asaah Mensah whose separate entries to the VENUE received a rousing and thunderous applause and Joy from the farmers graced the occasion.

In a speech, the hardworking Member of Parliament thanked the good Lord for his blessings and commended the President His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo for his vision of implementing the *planting for food and jobs* program which has yielded a positive response.

He bemoaned the unwillingness of the Youth to engage in agriculture as a career path and advocated for an improvement in the lives of the ageing farmers in the industry to attract the teeming youth to the sector.

He said the Government has put pragmatic measures in place to encourage the Youth into the agricultural industry.

He also lamented seriously on the manner large farmlands in the District are being leased to large scale commercial farming in Palm and Coconut and postulated that if care is not taken by the Chiefs and Elders in the District food Crops in the area will be in danger that may lead to importation of crops by the inhabitants.

He said there is a looming danger in agriculture in the constituency due to a drastic rise in commercial Palm farming taking over the available lands for Crop farming.

The Member of Parliament personally donated a substantial amount of money to each of the twenty (20) award winners with special awards in monetary value to the over all winner and the two runners up with Mr Kojo Nkrumah receiving a special personal award from the MP.

In a SPEECH read for him by the District Chief Executive , Honourable Ignatius Asaah Mensah, the President thanked the farmers and wish them well in the coming year and hope they will take advantage of the planting for food and jobs program to increase their produce.

He said currently the Government has placed fourteen NABCO beneficiaries in the District to assist in agricultural research and extension services .

The DCE enumerated a lot of measures being taken by the Assembly to increase yield next year and encourage the Youth to engage in agriculture.

He also advised the farmers to go for the fertilizers which have been subsidized by the Government

He said plans are far ahead to support more farmers in the planting for food and jobs program and commended the Member of Parliament for his lobbying skills in Government which is bringing unprecedented achievements in the District.

He promised the people of Angu of the early completion of the Nurses quarters and a renovation of the existing CHP COMPOUND for the farmers.

Monumental trees were planted by the Chief of Manso Nana KATAKYIE ll , the MP, the DCE, the NPP chairman for Mpohor Constituency , Chairman Appiah, the District Police commander and the an Assembly Member to signify the occasion.