Agona Swedru, Dec 5, GNA - Madam Efua Frempomaa, 76, last year's National Best Farmer and the 2005 Millennium Excellence Agriculture Award winner is to be honoured by the Agona District Assembly and the Traditional Council on Friday. Mr Samuel Ankamah, District Deputy Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Swedru on Sunday, said special programmes had been outlined to honour her at Agona Nkum, her hometown. He stated that the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Ben Mensah, had set up an eleven-member planning committee to ensure the success of the programme.

Mr Ankamah said twenty-three farmers and groups selected for the 2005 District celebration of the National Farmers Day would also be honoured at the ceremony. The Day could not be marked in the District because Madam Frempomaa had to hand over her sword of office to this year's winner at the National Farmers Day celebration at Navrongo in the Upper East Region. The Deputy Director, who is a member of the committee told the GNA that the group had been charged to introduce innovations to encourage the youth to take to farming and said two awards had been instituted for the best female and male young farmers. He stated that various women's group and organisations and dignitaries including Ministers would attend. The Deputy Director said Madam Frempomaa would be given an award by the District Assembly for bringing honour to women and farmers in the area. He commended Mr Mensah for his efforts to revamp agriculture in the District to make it attractive. Mr Ankamah stated that the Assembly would soon announce packages to encourage the youth to take to farming instead of travelling to the urban centres to look for non-existing white collar jobs. He called on the youth to form co-operatives to enable them to benefit from the Farmers Based Organisation Fund under MOFA and said the Assembly had also instituted a similar package for farmers and agro-based businesses.