Government is Committed to Value Addition- Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive Honourable Ansu Kumi at Farmers’ day celebration. 

The Municipal Chief Executive of the Sunyani Municipality of the Bono Region has disclosed the measures and mechanisms being championed by the government to ensure value addition on farm produce in the country.

Speaking at the 38th Annual Farmers’ day celebration under the theme: “Accelerating the development of agriculture through value addition” at Nwawasua in the Sunyani Municipality, the Chief Executive Officer, Honourable Ansu Kumi emphasised the government’s industrialization drive termed "1 district 1 factory," indicating that it is the game changer that would anchor the value addition of farm produce from the farms and take into consideration foreign exchange for both farmers and government since about 90% of the factories established under the 1D1F project are Agro-based factories.

On his encouragement to the youth in the country, he called on them to venture into farming as measures are far advanced to ensure a ready market for the produce.

He said the government's flagship program of planting for food and jobs( PFJ) and Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), he acknowledged how impactful the various subsidy interventions on seedlings of maize, soya and other vegetables seedlings and fertilizers have helped in making food available in the municipality and nation as a whole even with the worse global economic apocalypse facing every county. 

He highlighted that over 60,000 polyclonal cashew seedlings have since been distributed for free to farmers in the municipality since the commencement of the PERD project by the government in 2019.

He further noted that more than 1400O mango seedlings have since been distributed free of charge to farmers in the municipality and some 6000 coconut seedlings equally distributed since he took office.

Speaking to the importance of the PERD programme, he announced the establishment of the Tree Crop Department Authority (TCDA) by the government to ensure the protection of farmers and to create the needed market environment for value addition and export thereby raking in the needed revenue for the development of the country.

A colourful exhibition of farm produces at the gathering in the presence of scores of distinguished personalities including the Traditional Authorities of Sunyani Traditional Council, the Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources ( UENR) and others from around the Municipality.

The Municipal Director of Agriculture, Mr Patrick Dela Newman also congratulated the winners of the various awards including his hard-working staff whiles inviting all to venture into agriculture and treat same as a pure business venture. 

Explaining why farming should be treated as a business, he indicated that the government is paying more attention to the sector with a lot of investments and investment opportunities and so with the deliberate value addition drive by the government through the 1D1F policy, farmers would soon make huge returns from the enterprise with conscious efforts and good record keeping activities.

On behalf of the Assembly, the Municipal Chief Executive presented several awards to deserving farmers including a Motorking, a fridge, Wellington boots, wheelbarrows, cutlasses, fabrics, soaps and many more

Story by Opamago Paparichy.