Tema (Kpone-Bawaleshie), Dec. 4, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Adzei Anang, Member of the Council of State, on Friday pleaded with traditional rulers in the Greater-Accra Region to desist from selling farm lands for residential purposes.

"Stop selling all the lands in the region; reserve some for agriculture purposes", he said.

The Council of State member made the plea at Kpone-Bawaleshie, when he chaired this year's Farmers Day Celebration of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), on the theme: "Grow More Food". Mr Anang urged traditional leaders in the Greater-Accra Region to properly plan towards getting land for their farming communities, to avoid importing maize from other regions for the celebration of their annual Homowo festival.

The Council of State Member said it was unfortunate that, due to the quest of acquiring quick money, some of the Youth were also engaging in selling lands, instead of cultivating and rearing animals on those lands. Mr Asare Bediako Brempong, Co-coordinating Director of the TMA, who read the keynote address, on behalf of the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, said the theme for the celebration was very important due to the low food production in the country.

Mr Brempong said there was the need to step up food production in the Tema Metropolis because of the general decrease in food supply in the Greater-Accra Region, in the face of its rising population. He encouraged residents to go into backyard gardening as a way of increasing food production.

Mr Felix Mishiame, Tema Metropolitan Agriculture Director, said farmers and fishermen in the Metropolis received subsidies on fertilizers and premix fuel during the year.

Mr Mishiame noted that, 165 Youth were provided with seeds, fertilizers, and agro-chemicals, as well as tractor services, to enable them to cultivate a total of 175 acres of onion and tomatoes, under the Youth in Agriculture Programme.

He advised farmers and fishermen to pay back their loans on time to encourage financial institutions to give out more loans to enable them to expand their businesses.

In all, 19 farmers and fishermen, as well as Agric Extension Officers, were awarded with certificates, bicycles, sprayers, bags of fertilizers, and wax prints, among others as prizes. Nii Narh Abotsi, a 34-year-old crop farmer and Mankralo of Sebrepor, was adjudged the Tema Metropolitan Best Farmer for 2010. He received a fridge, a home theatre, one bicycle, wax print, four cutlasses, three bags of fertilizer, and a certificate, among other prizes. 04 Dec. 10