Nana Oduro Ofori, owner of Genesis Farms in Kumasi, has been adjudged the overall best farmer in the Ashanti Region.

For his prize, he received a motorized tricycle, knapsack sprayer, two cartons of agro-chemicals and pair of wellington boots.

He has a poultry farm with 120,000 birds, a piggery with 1,000 pigs and a fish pond stocked with 24,000 fingerlings. Additionally, he has cultivated 100 acres of maize, 50 acres each of soya and cashew.

Nana Ofori was honoured alongside 21 others including an education institution, Asare Bediako Senior High School at a regional farmers’ day celebration held at Fomena, in the Adansi North District, for their singular contribution to the growth of agriculture.

They were all presented with various items including tricycles, agro-chemicals, cutlasses and wellington boots.

“Eat what you grow,” was the theme for this year’s celebration.

Mr Joseph Yamin, Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, congratulated the farmers for keeping the nation’s economy going and encouraged Ghanaians to make radical shift from the deep preference for foreign foods.

They need to support the local farmers to increase production through the consumption of local foodstuff.

He described the theme chosen for this year’s celebration as most appropriate saying it sits well with the national campaign to promote made in Ghana products.

The Deputy Minister gave the assurance that the government would continue to introduce interventions to assist enhance crop yield and returns.

Mr Kwaku Menka Fordjour, Regional Director of the Food and Agriculture Ministry, said farmers should be proud of their contribution to food production in the country.

He used the occasion to raise concern about the importation of poultry products and said this needs to be tackled to ease pressure on the local currency.

He welcomed the Ghana Broiler Project, pointing out that it would significantly aid poultry production and make things better for the farmers.