A 56-year-old Poultry farmer, Augustine Amankwah from Oyarifa has been adjudged the overall Best Farmer for the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipality in the Greater Accra Region.
He received one Polytank, Bags of Poultry feed, Cutlasses, Knapsack sprayers, 32 inch Television, Pairs of Gloves, one Goggle, Agro-Chemicals and Tuna Flakes.
10 others received Poly tanks, Wheelbarrows Cutlasses, Agro-Chemicals, Knapsack sprayers, Wax prints, pair of Gloves each and Tuna flakes.
Mr Amankwah, a businessman and also the Chief Executive Officer of Amas Farms has 18,000 broilers, 1000 layers, 34 pigs, two acres cassava, three acres plantain, two acres pepper, cabbage and one acre carrot, 30 mango trees and 40 coconut trees.
He also has a feed mill, 3 Poultry product retail shops, 1500 capacity layer processing plant and a warehouse and a cold store of 1000 bird's capacity.
The event was celebrated on the theme: "Accelerating Agriculture Development through value Addition".
The Municipal Coordinating Director, Ms Kwesiwaa Kyei, on behalf of the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Jennifer Dede Adjabeng said the theme for this year's celebration was meant to encourage people especially the youth to change their negative perception about farming.
This, she explained was the only way they could get the opportunity to explore the enormous benefits that can be derived from the Agricultural sector leading to the achievement of self-sustainability.
Ms Kyei said government in order to achieve this target was working assiduously to revive the agro-processing industry, under the One District, One Factory initiative, as a way to ensure the availability of a ready market for all farm produce to help reduce post-harvest losses and add more value to the raw materials.
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"This will ensure that our hard-working farmers get the right prices for their produce as well as ensure the nation gets much higher foreign exchange through the exportation of finished products,"she added.
Mr Amankwah urged government to put in place measures aimed at accelerating efforts at mechanising agriculture to make the sector more attractive for the youth.
He also charged the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to provide dedicated farmers with interest free credit facilities and drought resistance seeds to enable them farm all year round.
"It was time to support the local agriculture sector to produce more to feed the nation and export the extra in order to reduce the huge food importation bill burden on the country". He added.
Mr Amankwah urged colleague farmers not only invest their money in farming but also invest their time since it is the surest way of becoming a successful farmer.
