A 36-year-old man, Abdul Aziz, from Akateng, has been adjudged the Overall Best Farmer for the Upper Manya Krobo District in the Eastern Region.

The 37th Farmers Day Celebration held at Asesewa was under the theme: "Planting For Food and Jobs - Consolidating Food Systems in Ghana". 

Mr Aziz was presented with a tricycle, knapsack spraying machine, Wellington boots, a radio set, a full piece of wax print, a pruning saw, weedicides and a certificate as his prize.

The first runner-up went to 38-year-old Jacob Kwadjo Ahelegbey from Poponya Fantem.

In all, 13 farmers were rewarded with the Best District Physically Challenged Farmer going to Mawuena Damegbor of BattorKope.

The District Chief Executive, Mr Joe Sam, said agriculture contributes about 60 per cent of the national workforce and accounts for about 45 per cent of gross domestic product and 35 per cent of export earnings.

He said the government's implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme and other interventions have resulted in a massive response by farmers as evidenced by the increased output of most of the staple crops.

According to him, farmers remain a priority in the government's quest to modernise the agriculture sector to grow the economy but bemoaned that after several years of honouring hard-working farmers, agriculture in the country has not attained the impressive positions it ought to.

Mr Sam said in view of this, he has invited some investors into the district, who are already working with the Ministry of Agriculture, to provide the people with, at least, four tractors to work with in order to maximise their production.

The District Director of Agriculture, Hilary Doe Alagbo, said the department has, over the years, done a lot of crop production in the district.

However, the challenge is on marketing and how to improve the quality of their farm produce in order to make them more competitive in both local and international markets.

Mr Alagbo, therefore, appealed to organisations and corporate bodies to come to their aid to market their activities and products.

In the area of Agric Extension Officer-to-farmer ratio, Mr Alagbo said it stands at one Extension Officer to more than three thousand farmers.

As a result of this, the department has resorted to the use of the mass media to reach out to the farmers with improved technologies.

Mr Alagbo said one major challenge facing the crop farmers in the district is climate change.

Even though rainfall distribution has been relatively good in the minor season, the major season was a near-disaster, he noted.

This, according to him, made it difficult for the farmers to plan well ahead of time.

The Agric Director appealed to the government to partner with the private sector for the provision of irrigation schemes to increase food production.

He also advised farmers to avoid indiscriminate felling of trees and bush burning especially, during the harmattan season. 

The MP for the area, Mr Bismark Tetteh Nyakoh, entreated the District Security Committee (DISEC) to ensure regular police visibility in the district to ensure peace in the district for the farmers to go about their normal routines peacefully.