Tema, Dec. 1, GNA 97 A 51-year old farmer of Kpone Apollonia, Mr Gilbert Tetteh Numo Tei was on Friday adjudged the Greater Accra Regional Best Farmer during the celebration of this year's National Best Farmers' Day at Tema.

He received a mattress; bicycle; suitcase; sewing machine; silver set; spraying machine; radio set and a wax print. In all 45 farmers including three institutions were awarded with 23 of them under the Regional awards while 22 were under the Tema District awards.

In the Tema District Mr Abraham Quaicoo Fio emerged as the best farmer and received a wax print, a television set; sprayer; wheelbarrow; waterholes; wall clock; bicycle; garden chair; radio set and two bags of fertilizer.

In an address the Regional Minister, Mr I. C. Quaye commended the award winners and all farmers in the Region for their immense contribution to the development of the nation. On the theme for the occasion: 93Youth Employment Programme - Avenue for Sustainable Agricultural Development=94, he said it was appropriate especially when the question of food security was of national concern.

The National Youth Employment Programme he explained was designed to provide employment opportunities for the youth. He urged the youth to go to their district assemblies to register under the Programme and appealed to chiefs and landowners to release lands for its successful implementation.

The Regional Director of Agriculture, Mrs Diana Ayirebi encouraged the youth to form groups, associations, farm-based organisations and cooperatives to enable them to benefit from the many opportunities at the district level.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr David Quaye-Annag stressed the need for efforts to be made to increase productivity in the agricultural sector 91not only to feed ourselves but also feed our industries and for export=94.

He mentioned discrimination in granting of financial assistance as some of the challenges facing the small-scale farmer and advised them to form cooperative societies so that the banks would deal with them as a group.

The District Chief Executive of Akuapem North, Mr Edward Adu-Aboagye has called on opinion leaders in the society to practically demonstrate to the youth that agriculture is a lucrative business to encourage them to take up to farming. He therefore called on the traditional authorities to support the idea by making land readily available to the youth who want to go into farming.

Mr Adu-Aboagye was speaking at this year's Akuapem North District National Farmers Day celebration at Aseseeso on Friday. In all, 17 farmers and staff of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture(MOFA) were presented with awards with the over-all best farmers award going to Mr Felix Owusu Walker, a 56 year old farmer of Kwamoso.

For his efforts, Mr Walker received a double bed latex foam mattress, a bicycle, a full piece wax print, five cutlasses, three bars of soap and a certificate.

Mr Adu-Aboagye explained that, the youth would be more interested in farming when they see their Members of Parliament, District Chief Executives, Assembly Members and the opinion leaders in their community investing in farming. He charged the District Directorate of the MOFA to look at promoting new and more easy ways of farming other than the use of hoes and cutlasses.

The District Director of Agriculture, Mr G. E. Garbrah gave the assurance that from next year, his office would focus its programmes on modernization of agriculture and the introduction of mechanized irrigation facilities in the district.