Awutu Beraku (C/R), Nov. 8, GNA - Thirty-Seven farmers and fishermen from the Effutu Municipality and Awutu-Senya district were honoured at the 24th National Farmers Day celebration, jointly organised by the two Assemblies at Awutu Beraku. Pastor Stephen Owusu Asante from Kasoa won the overall district best farmer award and was given a television Set, a bicycle, wax print, sound system and spraying machine. The other award winners were given cutlasses, wax prints, radio cassette players, fishing nets, Wellington boots, knapsack sprayer, insecticides and certificates of honour. The District Director of Food and Agriculture, Mr Gershong Woadzirah, said the area did not experience any food shortage and commended the farmers for their hard work.

Mr Woadzirah said the ministry had introduced new varieties of high yielding cassava to some selected farmers for planting. He said the new varieties of the crop include Bankyehema and Akabom, which yields between 34-49 tons per hectare. The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Effutu, Mr Robert Andrew Ghunney warned owners of domestic animals who allow their animals to stray and destroy others crops to desist from the practice and that offenders would be dealt with according to the law. The MCE urged the youth to be very careful not to allow themselves to be used by politician to create confusion during the elections. The District Chief Executive for Awutu-Senya, Mr Solomon Abbam-Quaye appealed to the people in the area to participate massively in the general elections. Nai Ncharkey Okine VII, a sub-chief of Awutu Beraku, who chaired the function entreated farmers to take advantage of the free compulsory education and send their children to school. He appealed to the government to rehabilitate feeder roads in the area to facilitate food evacuation.