As Ghana celebrates National Farmers’ Day on Friday 1st December 2023, we at AGRA would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to our hardworking farmers for their unmatched efforts at helping make the country food secure.
Farmers work all year round and usually with no leave days. Therefore, to have a day like this to celebrate our famers is really a worthwhile gesture by the government and the good people of Ghana. On this special occasion, we recognize the invaluable role that farmers across the 16 regions of the country play in ensuring that Ghana has food to feed its population, raw materials to power our agro-based industries, and exports for the generation of foreign exchange earnings. Your dedication, resilience, and commitment to creating thriving food systems that work for all, is highly commendable.
At AGRA, we acknowledge the challenges farmers face in their work, including the negative impact of climate change, difficulties in accessing markets, inadequate financing, unsustainable farming systems, and low technological application, among others. Despite these challenges, Ghanaian farmers continue to demonstrate remarkable determination and resourcefulness. We join the good people of Ghana in expressing gratitude to our valued farmers.
The theme for this year’s Farmers Day celebration is “Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience.” Farmers need the necessary tools, inputs, support, skills, and technologies that can help transform agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive, into a thriving business that protects our planet for future generations.
As AGRA seeks to contribute to a food system-inspired inclusive agricultural transformation across Africa, to reduce hunger, improve nutrition, and adapt to climate change, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting and empowering farmers. We will continue to support initiatives that promote good agricultural and sustainable farming practices, build the resilience of smallholder farmers, and enhance the development of inclusive markets and finance.
We recently launched our Strategy 3.0 which intends to unlock productivity and trade through a competitive agro-processing industry. Working with the government, private sector, civil society institutions, and development partners, we will keep working to catalyze Ghana’s agricultural transformation through increased support for value addition. We look forward to a continuous engagement with our distinguished farmers, to make this transformation possible.
This year, AGRA is supporting the National Farmers’ Day event with a Cabrio Standard Tractor with accessories, and Agritech Power Tiller with accessories, that will go to the Best National Female Farmer. The Northern Regional Best Youth Farmer will also get a motorbike, knapsack sprayer, PPEs, wellington booths, and 2 cutlasses.
Once again, happy National Farmers Day to all farmers in Ghana. We wish you bumper harvests and good profits in the year ahead and beyond.
AYEKOO GHANA AKUAFO!
Signed
Dr. Betty Annan
Ghana Country Director, AGRA
