Okere District's Best Farmer, 2020.

Amanfrom (E/R), Nov. 6, GNA — Dr Felix Nana Sackey has won the 2020 Best District Farmer in Okere, outperforming 15 other farmers. Dr Sackey has 1,350 pigs, 255 ducks, 17 turkeys, 102 guinea fowls, 340 local birds, 70 sheep, 354 goats, a snail farm with over 1,500 snails, 18 acres of maize, one and a half acres of coconut, three acres of cassava and four acres of plantain.

Madam Margaret Ohene Manko, 55, was adjudged the Best Woman Farmer, while Mr Ebenezer Amuzi, 50, won the Best Physically Challenged Farmer and Mr Seth Annan, 34, the Best Youth Farmer.

The others were the best vegetable farmer, best mango farmer, best maize farmer, best plantain farmer, best pineapple farmer, best livestock farmer and best poultry farmer, with a special award going to GreenGold Farms, a beneficiary of Okere District's land bank project.

Mr Dan Kweku Botwe, Member of Parliament for Okere, said improved access roads to and from farming and market centres helped to attract investors and to create employment and wealth. He said the government recognised road infrastructure as key in the Planting for Food and Jobs programme and other interventions in improving the agriculture sector, and commended the farmers for their hard work.

Mr Botwe disclosed that plans were underway to provide accommodation for agriculture extension officers in the farming communities to make their services more accessible to farmers and enhance agriculture in the district.

Mr Daniel Kenneth, Okere District Chief Executive, said the Assembly had distributed 87,000 mango seedlings and 60,000 oil palm seedlings to farmers under the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) programme, as well as 12 motorbikes to facilitate the work of agricultural extension officers in the area. He said the Assembly had revived an abandoned state farm and was cultivating 50 acres of oil palm to support the PERD programme and create jobs for the Okere people. From next year, Okere, under the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative, would focus on cassava and the rebranding of Okere Gari to boost production and marketing.

Nana Odwo Kwao, the Chief of Amanfrom, noted that farming was equally an important profession and urged farmers to see it as a business and to give of their best to enhance the country's food security.