Correspondence from Western Region

The Ellembelle District Assembly in the Western Region on Friday, November 6, 2020, honoured 21 outstanding farmers.

These farmers were presented with prizes at the 36th National Farmer's Day celebration at Kwasikrom, a farming community in the District.

A 48-year-old Mr. Simon Marfo was adjudged the Overall District Best Farmer and was given a Royal motorbike, a certificate and other items.

Mr. Marfo owns 204 acres of cocoa plantation, 29 acres of para rubber plantation, 6 acres of oil palm plantation, 3 acres of casava farm, 4 acres of plantain farm.

He also rears 65 local fouls, 15 sheep, 5 goats among others.

He uses cars, motorbikes, knapsacks, wheelbarrows for his farming activities. He is married with four children and graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

He was commended by the 2020 Farmer's Day Celebration Committee for donating 15 bags of cement for building of a Community Center, provision of accommodation and feeding of borehole workers, and donation of two packets of roofing sheets as well as nails in aid of a JHS building at Santaso where he hails from.

The first runner-up position went to Nana Nyarko Abroanoma II of Aidoosuazo. He was also adjudged the best cocoa farmer.

The second runner-up position also went to Nana Asafo Adjei of Santaso.

However, Mr. Wisdom Papa Ameodoanyi was adjudged the Overall District Best Community Extension Agent (COCOBOD).

Other recognised farmers

Other awardees were; Mr. Kwesi Oyibo, Best Tree Crop Farmer (from Kwasikrom), Mr. Paul Frimpong, Best Cassava Farmer (from Mantukwa), Mr. Kwaku Yeboah, Best Poultry Farmer (Dadwen), Mr. Stephen Boakye, Best Oil Palm Farmer (from Ewerekokrom), Nana Attach, Best Physically Challenged Farmer (from Asomase), Mr. George E. Sarpong (Sarpongkrom), Mr. Gabriel Kpabitey, Best Small Ruminant Farmer (from Santaso), Mr. Joshua Ansah, Best Plantain Farmer (from Sarpongkrom), Dauda Yakubu, Best Rice Farmer (from Kwasikrom), Emmanuel Dzata, Best Yam Farmer (from Ananekrom), Alhaji Mumuni, Best Non Traditional Farmer (from Adjeikrom), John Otu, Best Marine Fisherman (from Eikwe), Yariban Akasane, Best Vegetable Farmer (from Akropong), Mrs. Juliet Takyi, Best Woman Farmer (from Kwasikrom), Eric Ayarba, Best Technology Adopter (from Kwasikrom), Mrs. Mercy Sippah, Best Food Crop Farmer (from Kwasikrom) and Samuel Donkor, Best Agric Extension Officer (from Aidoosuazo).

Unfortunately, the aforementioned awardees did not receive their awards due to the bad nature of the road that links Nzema Aiyinasi to the northern part of Ellembelle District.

The vehicle carrying the items (awards) to be presented to the awardees couldn't ply the muddy road to the venue.

However, the Committee has promised to give the awards to the outstanding farmers in the coming days.




Speaking at the colourful celebration which brought all chiefs of Ellembelle District together, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah commended farmers across the country for working hard for the country to get food in abundance.

"I will commend you for working hard for this country, if you are not there, we will not be here, without you this country can't stand, God bless you", he acknowledged.

The MP admitted to the bad nature of the road network that links the southern part of the District to it's Northern part.

He disclosed that the NDC government started the construction of the road and promised that the next NDC government would complete the road within their first year to give relief to the farmers especially cocoa farmers in the area.

"What will we do to help farmers, one of the problem facing our farmers in Aiyinasi North is the bad nature of the road and due to road, living standard here at Aiyinasi North is higher but I have been working tirelessly over the years to get the road done. I can't sleep until this road is fixed and I want to tell our DCE what he said on Wontumi TV that he had fixed the Aiyinasi north road is not true and we all know the story of this road, I want to pledge that next year that John Mahama is coming to power we will complete the road within the first year", he stated.

He concluded, "when I became MP I worked hard and proved to the COCOBOD to declare the Aiyinasi north as the fast-growing cocoa area and not Samreboi and we still have a lot to do to develop Aiyinasi north as I have built three CHPS compounds in the Aiyinasi north here and today Kwasikrom have a CHPS compound, we will continue to help to improve their education and health".

On his part, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area also lauded the farmers for supporting the District to get food.

The DCE who took his time to respond to the MP's comment on the deplorable Aiyinasi north road, chastised him and his NDC government for failing to fix the road when Ghanaians gave them good years.

The DCE claimed that the only road the NDC did in the Aiyinasi north was a green book road.

He, therefore, pleaded with the MP to sleep because his Akufo-Addo-led government was fixing the road.

"I want to tell Armah Kofi-Buah that this road that he is claiming it is giving him a sleepless night is being constructed so he should sleep well and there is no way John Mahama will come to power again and I will beg you to vote for me to become your MP as Ghanaians are giving President Akufo-Addo another four years to do more", he stated.

He bemoned the bad nature of the road and attributed it to Armah Buah and the NDC government for wasting their eight years without fixing it.

"You see the NDC green book road in the Aiyinasi north road here, because of it today the vehicle that is bringing items to be given to the awardees couldn't come here at Kwasikrom, the vehicle has been locked in a muddy water so we will give your awards to you later but I promise that next year we will celebrate the Farmer's Day under a motorable road", he ended.

The Divisional Chief of Teleku-Bokazo, Nana Afful Kwaw II, who represented the Paramount Chief of Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, thanked the DCE and MP for hosting this year's Farmer's Day celebration in the Aiyinasi north.

He also thanked the farmers in the area for working hard for the District despite the bad nature of the road.

He, therefore, took the opportunity to urge the DCE and MP to stop engaging in Aiyinasi North road politcs and fix the road network immediately.

"I will call on the DCE and MP to stop doing politcs with the road and fix it, what we need is that the road is fixed so I will urge Armah Buah and Kwasi Bonzoh to come together and fix the road because the Aiyinasi north or the District is lacking development", he emphasized.

Mr. Simon Marfo, the 2020 Overall District Best Farmer thanked the Committee for encouraging his contributions towards the development of Agricultural sector of the District.

He seized the opportunity to appeal to the government to fix the bad nature of their road network.

The 2020 celebration was under the theme, "Ensuring Agric-business development under COVID-19, opportunities and challenges".