GPEG Project improves quality education delivery Bongo District

32nd National Farmers Day Celebration Held At Nangodi –Upper East Region

A 75- year - old visually impaired, Yen Bonti Yakote, emerged as the overall best farmer inthe Nabdam District of the Upper East Region at this year’s farmers day.

The  75- year- old visually impaired,   who emerged as  the overall best farmer  out of the  twenty farmers  at the event,  organized at Nangodi, in the Nabdam  District, is into sorghum, guinea corn, beans, cowpea, groundnuts , maize and  rearing of ruminants  such as cattle , sheep and goats as well as fouls guinea fowls.

 Speaking to the GBC in an interview after the event, he said being physically challenged, does not mean one is disempowered and appealed to his colleagues to also work hard to improve upon their living conditions instead of depending solely on others.

 According to him, in each farming season, he develops five pits of compost manure and use that as an organic manure to fertilize his crops.

 Mr Yakote who attributed the high yields he gets every farming season to the use of the organic manure, he said it helps him to cut down cost in his farming expenditure.

He admonished, particularly small holder farmers in the region to adopt the compost manure technology instead of relying on fertilizers which are sold at exorbitant prizes.

He disclosed that through farming, he has been able to cater for his wife and 10 children and siblings education, some of whom, he noted, are at the tertiary level.

“I want to take this opportunity to admonish my colleagues physically challenged persons not to give up in their lives. It is only when you start something that the society can help you to continue with it” Mr Yakote admonished. 

 Among the award winners was Mrs Christiana Atara, a-48-years-old woman with five children who also became the second best farmer in the District.

Whilst the overall best farmers received a motorbike, a bicycle, Willington boots, knapsack sprayer, two cutlass , bags of fertilizer  and two key bar soaps, the second best farmer also took home a bicycle, Willington boots, knapsack sprayer, two cutlass.

 The remaining award winners also got consolation prizes. Addressing the award winners, the District Chief Executive for the area, Mrs Vivian Anafo, lauded the efforts of award winners for contributing to ensuring food security and the nation’s economic growth.

The DCE who encouraged farmers in the area to see farming as an economic venture, said the land in the area is very suitable for farming crops such as maize, rice, millet, sweet potatoes, cowpea, soya beans, and tomatoes among others.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

She assured the farmers that Government will continue to provide them with the necessary support in the areas of fertilizer subsidy and rehabilitation and de-silting of dams to empower them enhance on their farming activities.

The District Director of Agriculture, Mr Amale Michael, who reiterated the need for the farmers, will continue to facilitate to ensure that they get support from organizations including the Northern Rural Growth, the Ghana farmers to embrace farming as an economic venture, assured the farmers that his outfit Social Opportunities Project (GSOP), banks and NGOs to boost their activities.

GBC                                                                         END