Mr Kennedy Akwasi Kankam, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Asokore-Mampong, has urged farmers, particularly those in the Municipality, to adopt modern farming practices and technologies to help increase crop yields and their incomes.
He said the continuous reliance on rainfall for agriculture purposes had not been sustainable, and there was therefore, the need for farmers to invest in technologies that could help provide sustainable water to help them undertake all year farming to increase productivity.
Mr Kankam made the call at the 39th edition of the National Farmers Day organized for farmers in the municipality.
The theme for this year’s celebrations was “Delivering Smart Solution for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience”.
According to him, farmers could not continue to feed many people using the old farming methods and therefore, stressed the need to encourage farmers to undertake irrigation system and the use of modern agriculture machinery and equipment to increase production.
He indicated that using modern agriculture machinery was appropriate especially at a time where the weather had seen drastic changes in rainfall and temperature patterns because of climate change which disrupts farming activities.
He said, the Asokore-Mampong Municipality through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, had taken advantage of the various government policies intervention and initiatives to guide and support small holders’ farmers to increase their output.
Mr Kankam explained that the Planting for Food and Jobs had so far boosted productivity, produced raw materials for industries, provided food security, and provided employment more especially to the teaming youth.
He urged farmers in the Municipality to take advantage of the opportunity and get closer to the Department of Agriculture at the Assembly to get necessary information for their own benefits.
Mrr Mohammed Akbar was adjudged the overall best farmer in the Municipality.
Thirteen other farmers were also rewarded at the ceremony.
By Muyid Deen Suleman, GNA