Jasikan (Volta Region) -- A total of 44 farmers including a blind man and a former deputy minister in the previous government were honoured during the 18th National Farmers Day celebration at Jasikan on Friday.

Ibrahim Kumah, from Kete-Krachi, who became this year's best Volta regional farmer received a corn mill, a pair of wellington boots, a bicycle, four cutlasses a radio cassette recorder and four pieces of wax prints.

Akwasi Aboagye, who was Deputy Regional Minister for the Volta Region, won the Jasikan district best farmer award and was given a bicycle, a piece of wax print, a sewing machine, radio cassette player, Wellington boots and two cutlasses.

Benoni Sedinam Agorda, a 47-year-old blind farmer, from Bowri-Aboabo in the Jasikan District was also honoured for his hard work. Other awards winners received corn mills, pairs of wellington boots, bicycles, cutlasses, radio cassette recorders and pieces of wax prints.

Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister, said the government had initiated pragmatic projects and schemes towards the modernisation of the agricultural sector. He also said the Social Investment Fund had been introduced to assist farmers to purchase agricultural inputs on favourable terms.

"The government has initiated programmes to strengthen the infrastructure base of the country, improve the marketing system and to provide extension services to our farmers for increased productivity," Owusu-Yeboa added.

He said feeder roads were being maintained to link food producing areas to the marketing centres. Owusu-Yeboa called on traditional rulers and landowners to ensure that land acquisition was simplified to woo investors into the region.

He hinted that irrigation canals would be constructed in the region next year to facilitate agricultural activities. Owusu-Yeboa warned the people against the setting of bushfires and appealed to individuals, organisations and traditional rules to help curb the menace.

The Regional Minister advised the people to refrain from sexual promiscuity to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS. Sam Bedu Kelele, Jasikan District Chief Executive, asked the youth to rehabilitate abandoned cocoa farms and appealed to the people to stop smuggling cocoa to neighbouring countries.

Kwadzo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, presented the awards to the winners and urged district assemblies to collaborate with cocoa purchasing societies to re-introduce the 'kilo-kilo' deductions.

He suggested that moneys accrued from the source should be used for enhancing the welfare of farmers and for development projects. Baah-Wiredu said one billion cedis from the Highly Poor and Indebted Countries fund had been disbursed to the Jasikan District Assembly and gave the assurance that the assembly's share of the common fund would soon be released.