TEMA WEST MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY MARK THE 29TH NATIONAL FARMERS DAY CELEBRATION.

To celebrate the farmers in Ghana for their hardworking and enormous contribution towards growth and development of the country, the Tema West Municipal Assembly, has celebrated the 39th National Farmers Day edition on Friday 1st December,2023 at the Baatsona Methodist car park to show gratitude to farmers for their sacrifices within the Municipality.

The clergies, Imams, Heads of Department, Staff of the Assembly, Ghana Ambassador to China, Unit committee, Residents and Farmers within the Municipality were also present.

Addressing the occasion, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Hon. Anna Naa Adukwei Addo commanded farmers for their hard work resilience and commitment which has resulted in noteworthy economic gains to the country.

She expresses her heart feel gratitude for achievement of the farmers, saying farmers continues to serve as the backbone of the Ghanaian economy notwithstanding the constraints that affect the agriculture factor.

Speaking under Theme “Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable food Security and Resilience said it was significant to adopt technology to boost productivity and minimized environmental impact.

She said it as through a holistic approach combining technology, sustainability, education, diversification, and climate resilience that Ghana could truly deliver smart solutions for sustainable food security and resilience.

Speaking at the celebration, His Excellence, Dr, Winfred Nii Okai Hammond, Ghana Ambassador to China, who gave the keynote address, emphasized the need to strengthen global collaboration to propel Ghana towards sustainable agriculture.

He underscored the necessity of adopting measures to navigate the current challenges in agriculture.

Dr, Winfred Nii Okai Hammond later called for collaborative efforts with successful nation, particularly in maximizing per-urban agriculture and incorporating advanced technology.

“It is said that Africa has about 60 percent of the arable land available for agricultural purpose, yet we have food insufficiency, and we look at a country like China, which has nine per cent of the world’s arable land, but they are producing enough cereals including rice, wheat and grains to feed 25 per cent of the world’s population”.

Is there something they are doing differently to get them where they are today? Certainly yes. And it means that it is important for us to strengthen our cooperation with such countries to improve our production” he noted.

He therefore urged all citizens, irrespective of political affiliation to collectively tackle the challenges of the agricultural sector, encouraging farmers to strive for increased productivity.

Ghana Ambassador to China stated that, farmers can do far more than what we see, the time has come for us to really learn from what others have done to be where they are today.

On her part, Mrs. Patience Alloh the Director of Agriculture, given her welcoming address praised farmers for dedication to ensuring food security despite challenges like availability of land for farming, limited market access, financial constraints rising input costs reduced retains and the impact of climate change.

She emphasized the Importance of sustainable agricultural practices, including integrated farming, reduced, input dependence soil conservation and improved water management.

Mrs. Alloh later called for support farmers to transition to climate-smart agriculture and minimize the risk of crop failure.

In all ten (10) farmers received awards for their immensely contribution to the development of agriculture in the Municipality, Mr. Abdulai Amidu emerged as the Overall Best Farmer, follow by Mr. James Sia Nsor the 1st Runner Up and Mr. John Bimock Larry Best Crop Farmer.