The District Chief Executive(DCE) for Bongo in the Upper East Region, Peter Ayamga Ayinbisa, has said interventions rolled out by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led administration have made the lives of farmers better than they were years ago.
Addressing a durbar Friday, November 6, 2020 at Lungo, a suburb of Bongo as part of the 36th National Farmers Day Celebration, the DCE who is also the Parliamentary Candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) noted that interventions such as the Special Rice Sector Initiative, The Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme, (GASIP), Fall Armyworm Combat Support Project, the The Adaptation Fund Project (AFP), the Planting for Food and Jobs, Rearing for Food and Jobs, construction of warehouses among others, have impacted the lives of farmers and those along the value chain positively.
Mr. Ayinbisa said the agriculture sector had not received the attention it deserved. He stressed that in the past farmers were left with limited options of breaking out of poverty, adding that the narrative of farmers is now one of hope.
“Let me draw my speech towards a conclusion by stating that farmers today are better off than they were in the past years. Farmers are now able to cut down their production costs by half as a result of the Planting for Food and Jobs and other interventions. In effect, the capacity for farmers to expand and diversify is greater than ever and the prospect of agribusiness development is brighter than ever. The future of a prosperous agriculture lies in the hands of all of us from duty bearers to our revered farmers,” he emphasized.
On his part the Bongo District Director of Agriculture, Edgar Drah, urged farmers to view farming as a full-time business.
This year’s farmers day celebration was under the theme: ” Agribusiness development under COVID-19- opportunity and challenges.
