Customs Officer wins 2022 Ashanti Regional Best Farmer award

Nana Kwadwo Poku Bonsu, a 49-year-old Officer of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has been adjudged the Ashanti regional overall best farmer for 2022.

Nana Bonsu, who is stationed at Tema, has 551 acres of plantain, 1,200 acres of maize, 400 acres of Mango plantation, 110 acres of coconut plantation, 150 acres of Cashew plantation, 210 acres of teak and 150 acres of oil palm all at Agogo, in the Asante Akim North District of Ashanti.

He also owns several acres of onion, pepper, watermelon, okro, cassava, orange, tomato and beans farms.

Nana Bonsu received one MotorKing bike, cutlasses, pairs of Wellington boots, knapsack sprayers, boxes of weedicides and insecticides among others, as his prize.

This year’s regional farmers’ day celebration was held together with that of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) at the Jackson Park in Kumasi.

A total of 20 farmers received various awards at the ceremony, which was held on the theme: “Accelerating Agricultural Development through Value Addition”.

Mr Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, speaking at the ceremony, said there had been increasing value addition in agricultural products in recent years in Ghana and particularly, in the Ashanti region.

This, according to him, had significantly contributed to the nation’s development through employment creation, revenue generation and foreign exchange.

Mr Osei Mensah used the occasion to congratulate companies, exporters and others, who had taken the initiative to process agricultural produce for both the local and international markets.

He said the Government’s One District One Factory initiative was to add value to the country’s agricultural produce to ensure maximum returns for farmers and the entire country.

He commended the award winners for their hard work in the face of many challenges and said farmers would always be the focal point of government’s intervention programmes to help improve on their incomes and living conditions.

Nana Bonsu on his part, urged the Government to take pragmatic measures to help reduce post-harvest loses, which had been one of the main challenges facing many farmers in the country.

e called on the youth to be positive-minded and venture into agriculture production since it was a lucrative business venture.