Mr Daniel Syme, Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, has launched the 31st edition of the National Farmers Day celebration in Bolgatanga.

The national farmer’s day event is marked annually on the first Friday of December to honour farmers and fishers throughout the country for their various contributions to national development.

Speaking at the launch on Saturday, the Minister said this year’s event would take place in Bolgatanga on December 4, at the Bolgatanga Girls Senior High School on the theme: “Transform Ghana: Invest in Agriculture.”

The National event would be preceded by the regional day celebrations on November 27 at Zebilla in the Bawku West District.

Mr Syme said government acknowledges the vital role farmers and fisher folks play in the nation’s socio-economic development especially in their unrelenting efforts to feed the growing population, providing raw materials for the industries and contributing to the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.

“The connection between agriculture and development and Ghana’s ability to achieve food and nutrition security goals are inextricably linked,” Mr Syme said.

He noted that this year’s theme was to support government’s policy of promoting and modernising agriculture through accelerated industrialisation of the sector and value addition policies which are in line with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s objective of promoting the consumption of locally grown agricultural produce.

The Region first hosted the National Farmers day event in 1991.