A 42-year-old man, Mr Nsoh Moses Atampika of Bungu, has been adjudged the best farmer for the Bongo District during this year’s Farmers Day celebrations in the area.
For his prize, he took away a tricycle, a radio recorder, a wall clock, a knapsack, three bags of fertiliser, some veterinary drugs and a certificate.
Ms Apoka Pana, 34, of Goo-Zorko, who was adjudged the best woman farmer, took away a bicycle, a radio recorder, a wall clock, three bags of fertiliser, a knapsack, two PICS bags and a certificate. Addressing the event, the Bongo District Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Mr Emmanuel Abobire, urged farmers to see agriculture as a business and invest more in the sector to attract many youth and graduates into the sector.
He said some of the big agricultural businesses such as Darko Farms and Industries and Afariwa Farms started as sole proprietorships and grew to become heavyweights in the agricultural sector.
Late start of rains
Mr Abobire said the rains started late in the Upper East Region this year but lasted to the end of October, indicating that the total rainfall for 2015 was 908.9 millimetres as against 860 millimetres last year, with about 344 millimetres in August alone.
"This change made some farmers not to expand their early millet farms and even some farmers for fear of the early stoppage of rain did not crop large acreages as would have been the case. However, with the long duration of rain, July to October, many of the crop yields were good."
Mr Abobire urged farmers to judiciously utilise their harvest and minimise expensive funerals and other festive celebrations.
Contribution of assembly to agriculture
The District Chief Executive for Bongo, Mr Alexis Ayamdoo Adugdaa, said the government was committed to transforming agriculture through a lot of initiatives.
Under the Fertiliser Input Subsidy Programme, he said four input dealers had been registered in the district to distribute 929 bags of various types of fertiliser to over 958 farmers.
He said under the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP), 59 farmer groups were supported in capacity building in the commodity window of maize, rice and soya beans.
"The Ghana Social Opportunities Project (GSOP) is also supporting in the area of climate change. As part of the project, three new climate change sites have been established this year, bringing the total number of sites to 10 with a total of 35 hectares of mango plantation."
Mr Adugdaa said the district assembly was working with other development partners in the area to support rural farmers to increase their production.
He said the district assembly was also receiving Spanish support to develop an irrigation system known as Drip and Sprinkle with the mechanisation of high-yielding boreholes at Beo-Tanko to irrigate about five hectares of land during the dry season.
In all, 24 individuals and organisations were awarded.
The Upper East Region had to organise its Farmers’ Day celebrations earlier than the scheduled December 4, as it was due to host this year's National Best Farmers Day celebrations.
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