Some food products being displayed at the Koforidua Jubilee Park to mark the beginning of activities to celebrate Farmers Day
Some food products being displayed at the Koforidua Jubilee Park to mark the beginning of activities to celebrate Farmers Day

Exhibition heralds Farmers Day celebration in Koforidua

A three-day exhibition of farm produce, fisheries and agricultural inputs has opened at the Jubilee Park in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, to herald the climax of the 38th National Farmers Day celebration.

Plantain, maize, cassava, packed rice, vegetables, yam, products from aquaculture and coconut seedlings were among the produce on display by farmers across all the 16 regions, while agricultural inputs such as chemicals, farm implements, processing machines were also exhibited by its promoters.

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The Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III, was accompanied by a large retinue of sub-chiefs, queen mothers and elders of the paramountcy to chair the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

This year, the celebration of farmers, fishers and other agricultural value chain actors is expected to be marked on the theme: "Accelerating Agricultural Development through Value Addition".

Modern farming

In an address, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, said the fair was to boost agriculture and ensure its transformation.

In that respect, he said, such fairs would be organised at the regional level at least, twice a year as part of ensuring regular engagement among agriculture value chain actors as well as promoting investments in the sector.

Dr Akoto stated that significant investments in agriculture was critical for sustainable food security and raw materials for agro industries in the country.

The minister said the fair would also promote updated agricultural-related information to farmers, agricultural professionals, policy makers, investors, government officials, the media and other relevant stakeholders.

It was further to promote technologies which would be helpful in doubling farmer incomes and attracting investors to the agricultural sector, Dr Akoto indicated.

The minister indicated that the exhibition would also create awareness among farmers about new improved varieties from research institutions, while the sale of quality seed and planting materials would be on display.

Successes

Dr Akoto added that the fair would, therefore, exhibit the successes of the major agricultural flagship programme such as Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) launched at the beginning of the President Akufo-Addo administration in 2017.

On the recent increases in the prices of food in the urban markets, the minister indicated it was not an indication of unavailability of food in the country.

He attributed the high prices to high transport cost and supernormal profits by traders.

That, Dr Akoto explained, led to the ministry piloting the carting of food from the producing areas to urban market centres to reduce prices in order to lessen the burden of consumers.

That initiative, he noted, which started in Accra, was being extended to Kumasi, Takoradi and Cape Coast and that the initiative was being launched at Koforidua.

Value addition

To sustain the gains made under PFJ and accelerated growth, the minister said the next step was to strengthen the implementation efficiency and effectiveness of these interventions, and to focus on value addition and knowledge sharing of successes chalked up over the years.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, for his part, expressed happiness that the event was being hosted in the region to honour gallant farmers for their contributions to the socio-economic development of the country.

The Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Moses Anim, said while the ministry was researching on fisheries and its value-added chain, it was at the same time taking steps to combat illegal and unregulated fishing activities.

Daasebre Boateng, in his address, underscored the importance of agriculture, stressing that it was a major economic activity that contributed greatly to the socio-economic development of the country.

Earlier, Stanbic Bank donated a brand new Massey Ferguson tractor as an award for one of the categories.

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