Distinguished chairman, Hon. District Chief Executive of the South Tongu, Hon. MP, all unites and departmental heads, Hon. Assembly members, Torgbewo, Mamawo, our gallant farmers of the South Tongu District, Staff of Various Department, ladies and Gentlemen, all protocol observed.
You are all welcome to the 39th Farmers Day celebration being hosted by Dendo electoral area. It is a pleasure to have elders and participant join us for this memorable event.
Delivering Smart solution for sustainable food security and resilience is the core value of this year’s celebration.
Indeed a developing economy over burden with population growth, education challenges and unemployment challenges just to mention but a few, needed to be efficient and smart to avert the devastation trauma of hunger of the citizenries. Farmers and fishers need to be very smart to turn around food security polices through the assistance of modernize technological farm practices such as the use of drones, sensors and satellite imagery applied to conservative agriculture, mechanization of farms, processing of produce, network marketing to promote Agribusiness among many other activities in the food value chain process to enhance productivity.
Mr. Chairman, South Tongu District is bless with a total land area of 45,850 hectares, of which only 23,418 hectares is being cultivated at the moment, stricken the percentage of uncultivated land to be 51%. With this potential, the second phase of the government Planting for Food and Job phase two would be very accommodative for the policy’s implementation. The opportunities endowed in this incoming policy, if embraced would locally transform the economy, for financial burdens of the farmers would be taken care of by providing needed input from land preparation to marketing.
Why can’t these initiative provide smart solution and food security?
A cashless production system that relieve the farmers from high input cost of production, only to increase profit margin as well as excess food for storage to enhance food security and resilience.
Furthermore, youth of today desire for smart solution through technological innovation, the used of Sophisticated equipment and machinery to advance onto the web page. This development improve capacities in new thinking. All these opportunities have been captured in the phase two of Planting for Food and Job. Smart agriculture is not about acreages but applying modern and appropriate technology to improve production, quality and increase product at production.
Also, we are indebted to the following organizations for their immerse support to the department in aiding the department to build farmers capacity.
Pro-cashew or cultivating New Frontier in Agriculture (CNFA) supported 193 farmers, thus 89 males, 104 females with 8,320 cashew seedlings, simple farm machineries, Market Avenue for cashew nut among others.
In addition, special acknowledgment goes to Ghana Agriculture Sector Investment Programme (GASIP) for their immerse support to turn around the fortunes of farmers in the District. A key role of providing three (3) F.B.O with tractor and its accessories, not to mention but a few.
Mr. Chairman I will conclude by mentioning Green Label, Sabon Sake, Sea Flight Export Ghana (SPEG), of their tireless effort to raise the standard of farmers through training in Standard Certification for Vegetable and Fruit marketing, Regenerative Agriculture, and Good Agronomic practices in Pineapple production.
I would like to use this opportunity to console all farmers whose farms were submerged in water by the Akosombo Dam spillage. Never lose hope, please pick up the mantle and pursue harder on your profession.
To crown it all, thanks to you all our sponsors, donors and supporters who helped in diverse ways to make this year’s famers day celebration a resounding success. God richly bless you all abundantly.
AYEKOO!!!! To all our gallant farmers.
Akpe na mi, Mawu ne yra mi kataa!!!!!!