Planting for food and jobs helped me to become best farmer – Pastor claims
A Forty-Six (46) years old Pastor, Robert Morkporkpor with the Royal House Chapel from Hodzo – Aviefe has emerged the best farmer at the just ended 36th Municipal farmers day which was celebrated at Lume – Ge in the Ho Municipality on Friday 6th November,2020.
With a total land size of 146 acres, he currently owns 91 acres of maize, 41 acres of oil palm, 10 acres of orange, 11 acres of agroforestry, 120 goats, 61 local fowls, 35 guinea fowls among others.
According to him, the “Planting for Food and Jobs” programme which was introduced by government in the year 2017 has made it possible for him to increase production and also gain high yields which enabled him acquire a corn mill, cassava grater, and an Opel Cadet to enhance his work.
Delivering a keynote address on the theme: “Ensuring Agri-Business Development Under COVID-19 – Opportunities and Challenges”, the Municipal Chief Executive for Ho, Hon. Prosper Kofi Pi-Bansah express his gratitude to farmers for their immense contributions towards food security especially during this era of COVID-19.
He called land owners to continually donate farmlands for the “Planting for Food and Jobs” flagship programme.
Hon. Pi-Bansah further urged citizens to take advantage of other modules of the programme such as “Planting for Export and Rural Development”. He congratulated Mr. Benjamin Kemetse from the Ho municipality for picking the best maize farmer award at the national level.
The Municipal Director of Agriculture Mrs. Esenam Elewokor advised farmers to always seek and heed the advice of extension officers since awards are given based on set-up criteria and adherence to good agricultural practices brought to them by officers.
She bemoaned the indiscriminate use of pesticides especially by vegetable farmers since it can result in chemical poisoning.
According to her, a total number of about 4,733 farmers benefited from agro-inputs such as subsidized solid and liquid fertilizers, certified seeds and cockerels, under the government’s agricultural flagship programmes.
In his welcome address, the Paramount Chief of Agogoe Lume Traditional area, Togbe Tenu called on the Ghana Export Promotion Council and other related agencies under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to do more in providing technical support to the local farmers because they lack the necessary expertise to brand their products for the international market in order to obtain the maximum benefit.
Hon. Benjamin Kpodo, MP. for Ho Central said that “the polling Station duty is not for national security, therefore the police have the right to send them away from the polling stations”.
The Chairman for the occasion, His Lordship Justice Dzamafe of the Appeals Court of Ghana appealed to Ghanaians to always be punctual at public functions since time is of essence to our national development.
Other notable personalities at the programme include Mr Peter Kwesi Thompson, the Municipal Coordinating Director of the Ho Municipal Assembly, Hon. Jonny Akpakli-Presiding member and some members of the Regional/Municipal Security Council.
Source: ISD -Ho