By Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
The Wa Municipality hosted the 2021 Farmers Day in the Upper West Region.
Twenty-eight awards were presented, including an institutional award which went to Tuurosong Farmers’ Association.
The event was held at the Biihee School Park in the Upper West Region, where a 36-year-old man, Issahaku Tungbani from Biihee was adjudged the Overall Best Farmer of the Wa Municipality for 2021.
The Wa Municipal Assembly presented a tricycle, two bags of fertilizer, a watering can, wax prints, Wellington boots, two cutlasses among others to Mr Issahaku Tungbani as his prize.
In addition, Latex Foam topped it up with a queen-size bed and mattress, two pillows and GHS 2,000.
Mumuni Mahama of Kagu emerged First Runner-up whilst Yahaya Ibrahim from Konjiehi took the 3rd position.
The MCE for Wa, Tahiru Issahaku Moomin appealed to farmers to seek early preventive measures for their livestock and poultry to serve as a security for them in the event of crop failure.
He pointed out that the Planting For Food and Jobs intervention triggered a response.
”The Department of Agriculture recorded a marginal increase from 35,000 acres to 35,612 acres this year [2021], with a total of 77,269 beneficiaries constituting 60,680 males and 16589 females.”
”Under the Planting for Export and Rural Development Programme (PERD), 695 cashew seedlings were distributed to 112 farmers (102 males and 10 females)”.
”The objective of this project is to enhance the living standards of beneficiary farmers, hence 96 persons from Busa who are directly working with the project are on a monthly stipend payment due them, similar to the livelihood enhancement against poverty (LEAP)”, Mr Moomin added.
The MCE expressed appreciation to the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project for its collaborative work in the cashew nursery and plantation establishment.
The Chief of Biihee, Naa Jaafar Naatasung Pelpuo in a message, indicated that the traditional rain dependent agriculture has outlived its usefulness and entreated the government to provide a dam for Biihee to ensure food security in the community.
The Wa Municipal Director of Agriculture, Hudu Abu observed that the climatic variability has necessitated the introduction of climate smart agriculture technologies, ”such as promotion of minimum soil disturbances and soil moisture conservation through cover cropping and mulching”.
