3 Firms donate towards 2021 Farmers’ Day
Three firms that deal in agrochemical products and information communication technology have presented cheques totalling GH¢90,000 and some farm equipment towards the 2021 National Farmers’ Day celebration to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
The firms, Broadspectrum Ghana Limited (BSL), Callighana Company Limited, and K. Badu Agrochemical were the first batch to make donations ahead of the event.
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The Broadspectrum Ghana Limited presented a cheque for GH¢80,000, while Callighana Company donated GH¢10,000 and K. Badu Agrochemical presented 15 motorised sprayers.
The national event will take place in Cape Coast in the Central Region on December 3, 2021, and will be on the theme: “Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ)—Consolidating food systems in Ghana.”
Consolidating gains
Speaking to the media at the presentation of the cheques in Accra, a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture (in-charge of Food and Crops), Mr Yaw Frimpong Addo, thanked the firms for their contributions towards the event.
“These contributions will help in honouring the gallant farmers who work assiduously to ensure that we achieve the mission of ensuring food security and producing for industries,” he said.
He said this year’s event was designed to consolidate gains made from the government’s flagship agriculture programme, PFJ.
“Thanks to the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, food, especially grains, are in abundance in our country. The Planting for Food and Jobs started in 2017 and we have come very far but we need to push it a little higher,” Mr Addo who is also the Chairperson of the National Planning Committee of the annual event said.
According to him, the PFJ was a flagship agricultural campaign of the government, with five implementation modules.
PFJ
The programme is aimed at increasing productivity of food crops, ensuring food security, raw materials for industry, reducing food imports and increasing exports.
It also seeks to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth and create incentives and awareness to increase investment and attract the youth in particular into agriculture.
Describing the programme as successful, the deputy minister added that there was the need for the gains made to be consolidated to help improve it and boost agriculture production in the country.
Hardworking farmers
The Managing Director (MD) of Callighana Company Limited, Mr Bernard Okutu, stated that the company was delighted to be associated with the day’s celebration and saw the donation as an obligation in helping to honour the hardworking farmers whose efforts were the backbone of the economy.
“Over the years we have supported the national farmers day because we consider farmers to be pivotal to our business and any effort to appreciate them aligns with our goals,” he said.
He said in addition to the cheque presented to the ministry, Callighana was investing a total of GH¢50,000 to support the effort of farmers across the 16 regions in the country.
“Our business is centred on the farmer and so our vision is to make farming sustainable to provide food and jobs for Ghanaians,” he said.