The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Ghana Cocoa Board, has launched the 36th edition of National Farmers’ Day.
The launch, which took place in Accra, was under the theme ‘Agribusiness Development and COVID-19 Challenges and Opportunities.’
The event, to be held on November 6, 2020 in Techiman in the Bono East Region was officially launched by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye. Usually, the Farmers Day is held every first Friday of December but this year’s celebration has been brought forward because of the upcoming general elections.
“Our farmers and fishers must remain assured that government will continue to support agriculture and make it a thriving, rewarding and attractive business. This is not mere rhetoric but one that is backed by a strategic framework that is guiding the government’s medium to long term development agenda in the agricultural sector.
We continue to appreciate the efforts of our partners for their support in the annual Farmers’ Day celebration and trust this year they will do better to enable us provide befitting awards to our farmers and fishers,” she said.
She went on to say that the National Farmers Day was instituted in 1985 to honour and recognise the nations industrious farmers and fishers whose effort provide food for the people of Ghana, foreign exchange earnings, employment and raw materials for industries that support economic development.
The Minister further noted that this year’s launch is historic because for the first time the occasion unlike before, is been organised by leveraging cutting edge technology and through the use of social media platforms.
Speaking also during the launch, the Minister of State at MoFA and Chairman of the National Planning Committee, Dr. Gyiele Nurah said despite the challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic, the National Farmers Day celebration is a permanent and major feature in the ministry’s annual work plan and it is therefore their obligation to organise this year’s celebration as expected.
“As a Ministry, we exist to ensure that farmers and fishers receive the best services in the form of technical support, inputs and infrastructural facilities to promote their enterprise. Without such support the food needs of the population and raw materials for industrialisation cannot be provided to advance the country’s development,” he noted.
For his part, the Regional Minister for Bono East, Kofi Amoakohene, expressed the region’s readiness to host this celebration. He further assured of measures being put in place to ensure a successful and peaceful event.
MoFA has over the past 35 years celebrated and held the Farmers Day celebration to acknowledge and appreciate the hard work of farmers, with this year being no exception in spite of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
