By Evans Worlanyo Ameamu, GNA
Hatorgodo (VR), Nov 28, GNA – Mr Wisdom Seade, Keta Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) in the Volta Region, has urged the public to prioritise local food production to help boost the agricultural sector and enhance more productivity.
He said the Assembly had various strategies for transforming the sector in the municipality, including the showcasing of the importance of climate-smart agriculture and investment in storage facilities, value addition, and agro-processing.
He was speaking during the 41st Municipal Farmers’ Day celebration at Hatorgodo.
“We are all aware that agriculture is a key sector in the country. It provides livelihoods for many citizens. However, the sector faces challenges such as climate change, limited access to credit, and poor infrastructure. And the government is poised to solve all these challenges to promote the sector as well.”
The MCE stated that to address the challenges, the farmers should embrace climate-smart agriculture practices, invest in storage facilities, and add value to agricultural products through processing and packaging.
He explained the potential of youth in agriculture and agribusiness, which highlighted their roles as game changers in transforming the sector and noted that empowering young people to engage in agriculture could help achieve sustainable food security and economic growth.
“There are many opportunities for youth in agriculture, including primary production, value addition through agro-processing, and service provision in logistics and digital agriculture from the government through the municipal assembly.”
Mr Seade noted that there were barriers that discouraged youth from pursuing agriculture as a career, which included limited access to land, credit, training, and ready markets and to address the challenges, interventions such as youth-focused training, affordable start-up grants, access to land, cooperative models, and incubation hubs for agribusiness startups would be implemented.
He charged young people to view agriculture as a frontier of opportunity, while committing to invest in the next generation of farmers and agripreneurs for a prosperous and food-secure future in the Keta Municipality.
Mr Seade said local farm produce like okro, pepper, onion, leafy vegetables, fishes among others were of high quality and nutritious and could provide healthy life for all.
Mr Godwin Tettey, the Director of Agriculture at Keta, said the livestock sector remained vital to the municipality, noting that veterinary officers put in much efforts to ensure that cattle, small ruminants and poultry in the area were well kept and in good health.
“This year alone, the department of agriculture has received about 10 requests for farm assessment from police prosecutors to initiate court processes on recurring destruction of farm by cattle.”
Mr Pascal Dasilveira, a 54-year old farmer at Nolopi, who was adjudged the Overall 2025 Municipal Best Farmer, in an in interview with Ghana News Agency, expressed excitement about the award but lamented the challenges faced, such as high incidence of disease and pests, high inputs costs, unpredicted rainfall patterns, post-harvest-losses, and limited access to mechanisation, credit and structured market.
He suggested that the department of agriculture should continue to deepen collaboration with private sector actors, non-governmental organisations, research institutions and other government establishments to solicit the needed interventions to address the constraints.
Mr Dasilveira urged that the focus should also be directed to irrigation system, strengthening extension service, empowering youth in agriculture, expanding mechanisation support and leveraging digital tools to enhance productivity.
He appealed to the government to provide all the necessary support to farmers and urged the public to continue prioritising local products to boost the local economy.
All the award winners on the day received various forms of prizes and certificate for their dedication and hard work.
The main national Farmers’ Day celebration, which would be held in the Volta Regional capital, Ho on Friday, December 5, necessitated the change in the district-level celebration to allow stakeholders focus on the national event.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah