Tullow Ghana Limited (TGL) has presented GH?35,000.00 to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture as its support for the 30th edition of the National Farmers Day celebration.

Mr Kennedy Noonoo, Communications Officer of Tullow Ghana, who presented the cheque, said the company was sponsoring the celebration at the national level for the first time.

He said, however, that since the company started operations in the country it had always contributed towards the celebration at the regional level, particularly in the Western Region where it had its major operations.

He said following the discovery of oil in the country and the production of first oil in 2010, TGL, through its social investment and community development projects, had put in place many programmes to enhance the wellbeing of communities in the six coastal districts of the Western Region mostly involved in fishing and related businesses.

One of such programmes is the Jubilee Livelihood Enhancement and Enterprise Development (LEED) project.

Under the project fishermen and the youth have been trained in the manufacturing of ice boxes to preserve fish and to use the Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment to aid their navigation on the high seas.

He said some fish mongers had also received training in the construction of cheaper and fuel-saving ovens to help smoke fish in a healthy and environmentally friendly way.

Mr Noonoo said all beneficiaries of the programme received training in Business Management and Entrepreneurial Skills as well as access to credit and enhanced market knowledge.

“For Tullow Ghana, supporting the National Farmers Day will, therefore, aid the development of farming and fishing and bring to life the theme for the year - Eat What You Grow - in the long term,” Mr Noonoo said.

Mrs Sena Okiti Dua, Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, who received the cheque, said it was exciting to have Tullow Ghana on board the celebration this year and expressed the hope that this would be the beginning of the company’s participation in subsequent events.

Mrs Okiti Dua urged stakeholders in the fishing industry to ensure that safe quality fishing was done to enhance production and help produce enough fish for local consumption.

She said the Ministry had set up the Fisheries Enforcement Unit to enforce the fisheries laws to ensure sustainability of Ghana’s fish resources, adding that the unit was seriously monitoring fishing activities to prevent fishermen from engaging in illegal practices.

The National Farmers Day celebration is marked annually on the first Friday of December to honour gallant farmers and fishermen in the country.

This year’s event would be marked on December 5 at Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western Region.