Wa West Celebrates Contribution of 24 Farmers to Agric Development

The People of Wa West District has celebrated the 34th national farmers day in the Upper West Region by recognizing 24 farmers for contributing to the growth of agriculture and enhancing economic development.

Mr Nuhu Salia, 40 year-old farmer was declared the District Best Farmer of the year at this year's National Farmers' Day which held under the theme, 'Agriculture, moving Ghana beyond Aid.'

He took away a motor tricycle, knapsack spray machine, machetes, Wellington boots, cloth, certificate and sunphosate, while the first and second runner ups took a motorbike each, knapsack sprayers and other farming materials.

The remaining 21 industrious farmers also got bicycles, spray machines, Wellington boots and several farming gadgets.

Mr Joseph Kambunaba, the Wa West District Director of Agriculture, said the 24 awardees were selected from a total number of 5000 farmers based on their qualifications.

He said the District is resourceful with agricultural potentials like dams, natural water bodies, vast arable lands, land for rice farming and good genetic improvement potentials for crops and livestock.

He urged the working public to tap and harness the resources and help increase food production.

Under the planting for food and jobs programme, he said, the District distributed 228 bags of improved seeds to 511 farmers and 25,100 bags of fertilizers to 9,222 farmers.

It also supplied 7,100 cashew seedlings to 1,930 cashew farmers across the District.

Mr Edward Laabiir Sabo, the District Chief Executive, said the District would soon roll out more interventions to make farming an attractive and a lucrative business to entice the youth and stop them from migrating to urban centres for jobs.

He said the planting food and jobs seeks to increase the provision of raw materials to empower domestic industries, produce finished and semi-finished goods for export and to address unemployment among the youth.

The chiefs and people of the area were urged to stand up and join the fight against bush fires as the Harmattan season begins.

---GNA