The Bole District Assembly in the Savannah Region has organized this year’s Farmers Day in the District capital under the theme:” Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience”.
The Bole District Chief Executive, Madam Veronica Alele Hemeng speaking at the event said the theme for this year’s celebration is timely and most appropriate in view of the current climate variability and this theme revolves around the application of pragmatic, innovative and climate adaptive techniques in agriculture to ensure Sustainable food Security in the midst of several challenges in the agriculture sector.
She added that the increasing population and it’s demand for food supply calls for critical thinking and identifying smart, Sustainable and environmentally sound solutions that can improve the resilience of the food system to ensure food Security in the district and the nation at large.
“So it is very appropriate in an occasion such as this to inform our people some of the very latest interventions that the government has made to boost productivity in the agricultural sector and ensure food security, that is why president Akufo-Addo on October, 2023 launched the Phase II of the Planting For Food and Jobs initiative in Tamale “,she said”.
The DCE mentioned that other efforts government is embarking on is to boost the successful implementation of PFJ Phase II includes, investing in agricultural infrastructure, establishing local agro- processing plants, developing irrigation facilities, facilitating farmers access to improved agricultural machinery, ensuring access to quality inputs and building the capacity of our farmers and other stakeholders along the agricultural value chain to adopt Sustainable agricultural practices.
So it involves quick and reliable agricultural financial support in a comprehensive input credit system provision for in-kind repayment and the targeted commodities under the program are Maize, rice, soyabeans, sorghum, plantain, yam, casava, tomato, pepper, onions and poultry.
Madam Veronica Alele added that the Bole District together with it’s development partners have already undertaken a number of programs to help advance the cause of agriculture in the District.
For instance, in the area of agro-processing, a shea-butter processing facility is being expanded for the people of Chache under the Gulf of Guinea Northern Ghana Social Cohesion (SOCO) project and this is to economically empower the women within the community to lead decent lives.
The Bole District Director of the Department of Agriculture Mr. Sualey Abukari also stated that Cashew production is gaining grounds in the district and efforts are being made by government and other development partners in agriculture to support farmers with cashew seedlings for planting.
And again the government under the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project has established cashew nursery at Seripe and produced 4,000 cashew seedlings which was distributed to farmers district wide.
In addition, 2,800 grafted cashew seedlings were distributed to 70 farmers (52 males and 18 females).
He added that under the Savannah Investment Program (SIP), 10 livestock breeders (8 males and 2 females were supported with 90 improved breeds of small ruminants (sheep) to multiply to improve on their local stock, so the aim of the project is to reduce importaion of animal products, improve livestock breeds and improve nutrition.
The Agric Director noted that 13,353 small ruminants (sheep and goats) were vaccinated against PPR free of charge with support from Vaterinary Service Department and also 520 pets (cats and dogs) were also vaccinated against rabies.
In all, 18 hardworking farmers took home prices in various categories.
The overall District Best Farmer went to Mr. Mumuni Dery from Simalyiri who took home a motor king tricycle, and a certificate of recognition.
Mr. Mumuni Dery speaking to Yagbon News thanked the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for the initiative.
According to him farming is a business and thus called on the youth to engage in farming.
Source: yagbonradioonline/Fataw Diwura
