The 42nd Farmers Day Celebration has been launched at the forecourt of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture with 4th December as the celebration day in Sunyani, the Bono Region.
This year’s Farmers Day, with the theme Our Farmers, Our Food, Our Future, seeks to recognise the hardworking farmers, fishers, processors, extension officers, researchers, agribusinesses and all actors who sacrifice to sustain Ghana’s food systems and strengthen the economy.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, espoused why the celebration is not just a celebration of agriculture but a celebration of national life.
“Every grain of rice, every tuber of yam, every basket of tomato, every crate of eggs, every kilogramme of fish, every litre of milk and every cocoa pod is a product of labour, patience, risk and hope. Behind the food on our tables is a farmer who woke up before sunrise. Behind our markets is a fisher who faced the sea. Behind our agro-industries is a producer who believed that Ghana could feed itself and feed others”, he extolled.
Undeniably, agriculture remains the foundation of Ghana’s development that gives meaning to the national aspiration for inclusive growth.
No country has achieved true transformation by neglecting agriculture, and no nation can secure its future while depending helplessly on others for the food it can produce. With this, the government is poised to make agriculture attractive and reliable for youth and the industry and dependable for the nation.
Deducing the meaning of the theme, the Minister explained that the meaning of the theme signifies that Ghana’s development will not be imported, food security will not be outsourced, and the future will be built by the strength of its own people, beginning with the farmer.
As is already known, the Farmers’ Day Celebration will be preceded by a weeklong agrifair with a series of activities that will build farmers’ capacity in all sectors of the agriculture industry. The last day would be climaxed by the awards to reward farmers who have diligently worked for the betterment of the nation.
He called on the various institutions, corporate organizations, agro-industries, development partners, and the general public to contribute to the organization to reward our special people who make life possible by providing food for Ghanaians every blessed day.
