FARMERS, FISHERMEN'S DAY OF HONOUR...65 to receive prizes at Techiman (PAGE 21)

Once again, the National Farmers Day celebration is here and it is the turn of the people of Techiman, the commercial hub of the Brong Ahafo Region, to host the 24th edition of the event which takes place at the Techiman Methodist Park today.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Globalization: Its Effects on Agricultural Production in Ghana”.
The National Farmers Day has been celebrated every first Friday in the month of December since it was instituted in 1985 by the Government of Ghana with the aim of honouring gallant and hardworking farmers and fishermen in the country.
The day was instituted by the then government of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), led by its chairman, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, following the unprecedented famine that plagued the nation in 1983 and 1984 and the remarkable productivity exhibited by Ghanaians in 1985 to salvage the nation from hunger.
In the years preceding the 1985 bumper, the nation had witnessed an acute drought aggravated by wild fires as a result of the absence of rains. Indeed everything went dry and the effects of the food shortage were made more severe by the deportation of over a million Ghanaians from Nigeria.
Those were the days when people queued to buy uncooked kenkey to their homes to boil it themselves while others chewed raw gari and drank water on top to abate their hunger regardless of the nutrients to be derived from this.
In fact people relied on whatever food they could lay hands on, once it was wholesome. Others never bothered about whether the food was wholesome or not; they only needed to fill their stomachs.
But thank God, who listened to the cry of his people and sent down abundant rains in the succeeding years. Ghanaian farmers took full advantage of the rains to increase their agricultural activities which culminated in high yields. This was rewarded by the wise decision of the government to set aside the first Friday in December to recognise the hard work of the Ghanaian farmer.
The celebration of the Farmers’ Day has thus become a statutory national holiday, backed by law.
The day itself is preceded by a week-long activities with the award winners receiving prizes such as the mouth-watering three-bedroom house, a double cabin air conditioned pick-up vehicle and television sets, among other items.
Now the statutory public holiday is observed at the district, regional and national levels, where farmers whose work has been recognised are rewarded simultaneously each year during the celebration.
For this year’s celebration, however, the organisers after carefully assessing the national calendar, thought it wise to shift the date from December to November 7, owing to the up-coming presidential and parliamentary elections which have been slated for Sunday, December 7, 2008.
From Osino in 1985, the celebration in 1986 was held at Akatsi in the Volta Region and Essumeja in the Ashanti Region the following year, while the venue moved to Nyankpala in the Northern Region in 1988 with Mpohor in the Western Region, taking its turn in 1989.
In 1990, Wenchi, in the Brong Ahafo Region hosted the celebration, Juapong in the Volta Region, 1991 while the venue moved to Ejura in the Ashanti Region in 1992, Akuse in the Eastern Region had its turn in 1993, followed by Winneba in the Central Region in1994; Bedeku in the Greater Accra Region in 1995; Esiama in the Western Region, 1996, and Bechem in the Brong Ahafo Region in 1997.
For the 1998 celebration, the Trade Fair Site in Accra was chosen, in 1999 it was Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region; Wa in the Upper West Region in 2000 while in 2001, the venue again moved to the Trade Fair Site in Accra, and 2002, Takoradi in the Western Region, with Cape Coast in the Central Region hosting it in 2003.
In 2004, Ho, the capital of the Volta Region, hosted the event while in 2005, the celebration took place in Navrongo in the Upper East Region. Nkawie in the Ashanti Region hosted it in 2006 with Wa taking its turn last year.
And for this year, at Techiman, all is now set for the selected 65 award winners to receive their prizes for various categories at the ceremony which is to be graced by the President, Mr J.A. Kufuor, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Members of the Council of State, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Traditional Authorities as well as other important dignitaries from all walks of life.
Mr Emmanuel Krobea-Asante, the Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, told this writer that the awardees would first arrive in Sunyani, pay courtesy calls on the Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, at his residence and other important personalities in the region. They will also be treated to a welcome cocktail.
He said they would also visit some selected Agro-processing industries in the region, including Yedent Maize Processing at Abesim, near Sunyani and E. K. Adjei Agro Processing Company in Sunyani as well as the Ghana Nuts Company Limited at Techiman.
According to Mr Krobea-Asante, the Regional Planning Committee had secured adequate decent hotel accommodation in Sunyani and Techiman for the award winners and other important dignitaries and guests to the event, and denied categorically that some hotels in Kumasi had been booked for some of the guests, saying that not a single room had been arranged for any of the guests at Kumasi.
The Regional Director named the booked hotels in Techiman as Dymns, Premier, Agyeiwaa, Dery, Lumnar Lodge, Patoah Lodge, Relax, Expo, Seematins, and the Adventist Senior High School Hostel.
And in Sunyani, Mr Krobea-Asante mentioned those booked as Eusbett, Glamossay, Ideas, Regent Resorts, Aboa Lodge, Tony and Hotel De Jet.
According to him, the necessary security arrangements had been made and lights at the venue had already been fixed by the Volta River Authority (VRA). The Techiman Municipal Assembly was also reshaping the grounds all at the expense of Ghana Telecom.
Mr Krobea-Asante indicated that the erection of the giant dais would be completed before schedule and that the programme would start at 9:00 a.m prompt. He expressed the hope that the occasion would be a memorable one and also commended all the stakeholders for their efforts.
The function is expected to be chaired by the newly elected President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi II, who is also the Omanhene of the Kukuom Traditional Area.