Accra, Dec. 11, GNA - Sheikh I. C. Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister on Monday said the region could now proudly be called an agricultural region.

He said the region that used to be known as a consuming region, today for the first time in the history of the National Farmers Award, had produced the National Best Farmer for the year 2006. Sheikh Quaye said statistics show that Greater Accra produces a lot of food items for the local market and even for export. He said these included fruits, cereals and livestock.

The Regional Minister said these when he hosted the National Best Farmer, Mr Mohammed Tetteh Akpah, who hails from the region, the Regional Best Farmer, and all the District Best Farmers in the region at the Residency in Accra.

He congratulated Mr Akpah for making the region very proud and challenged the Regional Best Farmer to take over the baton from Mr Akpah, come next year, adding, " I'm one of the proudest persons at the moment, because, since the inception of the programme about 22 years ago, Greater Accra won the ultimate prize during my tenure of office". He also used the occasion to congratulate other award winners from the region, also the two agriculture extension officers, who were decorated by President J. A. Kufuor at the national ceremony. Sheikh Quaye said the Youth Employment Programme, which was principally designed to target the youth for employment, had ten modules but the most relevant among them is Youth -In-Agric-Business, adding that, the objective was to provide employment for the youth in agricultural related activities and ventures.

He said the youth in the communities, who were eligible to work, should be encouraged to go to the districts assemblies to register for the programme.

Since the aged-population, who formed the majority of the people engaged in agriculture could not sustain the national agriculture development without the active involvement and support of the able-bodied youth.

Mr Mohammed Tetteh Akpah, said for the Youth-In- Agric-Business programme, to succeed, financial support should not directly go the youth to go into agriculture but the support should rather go to already established farmers, to expand their farms, employ the youth and train them on the job.

He also urged chiefs not to discriminatively sell out farmlands to real estate developers, so as to make room for farm expansions in the region.

Mr Akpah thanked all that supported in divers ways to win the honour for the region, particularly the agriculture extension officers. The occasion was graced by Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, District Chief Executives and Directors of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. 11 Dec. 06