Mr Daniel Alexander Nii-Noi Adumuah, the Adentan Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has urged farmers to add value to their produce to create a larger market share and maximise profits.
He said that would help attract more customers, give them competitive advantage and boost their revenue and profit margins.
Mr Adumuah was speaking at the municipality’s celebration of the 38th National Farmers’ Day, on the theme: Accelerating Agricultural Development through value Addition.”
He said farmlands had become scarce in the municipality as farmers continued to lose lands to real estate developers.
“There is not much we can do as an Assembly but we can only encourage you to consider value addition instead of only production, and if possible come together to acquire some of the lands to facilitate your activities,” he said.
Madam Anna Armo-Himbson, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), said value addition was critical for job creation, especially in these challenging times.
In her Keynote address, she said that could help bridge the unemployment gap of about 1.74 million (13.4 per cent) of the Ghanaian 13 million working population.
Madam Armo-Himbson urged the youth to join the World Bank funded Ghana Jobs and Skills Development project, which targets to train 50,000 youth.
The Municipal Farmers’ Day was graced by traditional leaders, academia and faith-based organisations among others.
Seven personalities received prizes with the Overall Best Farmer going to Frank Okyere-Boateng.
He took home a tricycle, flat screen television set, and other farming inputs.
The Best Fish Farmer award went to Evans Adjei Mensah, Best Crop Farmer, Fatal Mohammed, and Best Physically Challenged Farmer, Abdul Razak.
Victoria Norgbey was the Best Livestock Farmer, Irene Lamptey, Best Agro Processor, and Dominic Mensah Johnson, Best Agric Worker.