Dr Godfried Osei Bonsu Twum, Akuapem South Municipal Chief Executive, has advised farmers to always reinvest part of their earnings in order to increase production, local consumption and export.
He said this would also enable the country increase its foreign exchange earnings to step-up development efforts.
Dr Osei Bonsu said this at Pakro near Nsawam during the 25th National Farmers Day.
Mr Edmund Kwabena Nkansah, a 46-year-old worker at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, was adjudged the overall best farmer. He has 60 acres of plantain farm, 45 acres of citrus, 11 of acres coconut farm, 15 acres of maize, four acres of mango, 80 guinea fowls, 40 local goats and 64 sheep.
Mr Nkansah, who hails from Darmang Ahwerease near Nsawam, took home a bicycle, bags of fertilizers, water pump machine, Wellington Boots, cutlasses, spraying machine and a certificate as his award.
Dr Osei Bonsu also called on chiefs in the Municipality to offer lands for the youth to start farming instead of travelling to the cities searching for white colour jobs.
He commended the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) for re-gravelling several roads and providing training to over 500 farmers in the Municipality.
Dr Osei, however, called on farmers, who had benefited from MiDA's credit facility, to repay their loans to enable others to also benefit.
Mr Kwaku Minta Fordjour, Akuapem South Municipal Director of Agriculture said child labour in agriculture was becoming an issue and should not be tolerated adding that in future it would be a criterion in the selection of award winners.
Other award winners were Ms Mary Djan and Jonathan Kissi both maize and cassava farmers, who became second and third Municipal best farmers also received awards and certificates.
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