The Bono Regional Minister, Mad. Justina Owusu Banahene has today, farmers day eulogized the Bono Regional hardworking farmers for their effort in providing food for the people in the region ad Ghana as a whole
In a statement to salute Ghanaian farms ahead of todays farmers day, the Minister who was also born in a farming community noted that farmers toil in the fields to bring food to various dinning tables, provide raw materials to keep the wheels of industry turning and provide products needed in the world market to rake in the needed foreign exchange for development.
Mad. Justina Owusu Banahene said the role of agriculture in our dear country in supporting livelihoods of many families, guaranteeing food security, reducing poverty in rural areas, and promoting growth and national development has never been in doubt, however, farmers remain the main pillar in this regard notwithstanding the myriad of challenges confronting them.
According to her, farmers and their families, majority of who live in rural areas are among the poor and marginalized in the country.
That is why the NPP government lead by Nana Akufo Addo is doing everything possible to address the challenges confronting the agricultural sector on the issues of access to land and water resources, improved seeds, fertilizers, high levels of post-harvest loses, poor infrastructural development (road networks, irrigation, power and storage facilities), agricultural credit, effects of trade liberalization policies, and access to markets for agricultural produce and now insurance for cocoa farmers among others.
National Farmers Day was instituted in 1985 by then Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) government after the industries showed a 30 percent growth in 1984 which was a significant improvement over 1982 and 1983 years when the country suffered a severe drought.
It is celebrated on the first Friday of December each year to recognize that the contributions of farmers and fishermen in the country and is designed to pay respect to the importance of the farming and fishing industry in the socio-economic growth of Ghana.
