Chief Executive Elizabeth Kwatsoe Sackey: with access to information, training, and technology, women could be key agents of change in agriculture, nutrition and rural development
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has honoured four (4) women for their key roles in the development of Urban Agriculture in Accra.
The four were honoured at the AMA's edition of the Famers and Fishers’ Day celebration under the theme: Planting for Food and Jobs – Consolidating Food Systems in Ghana.
They are Mrs Naa Adjeley Mensah, Overall Best Farmer, Martha Lamptey, Best Fish Processor, Mary Kaa Okine, Best Livestock Farmer and Harriet Tsotsoo Quartey, Best Agricultural Extension Agent.
In all, a total of 12 individuals and institutions received awards for their contributions to the agricultural sector in the city at the event which was graced by personalities such as Hon Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, Hon Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye and Dakoa Newman, Members of Parliaments for Ablekuma South, Odododiodio and Okai-Koi South Constituencies respectively as well as representatives of the Ga Traditional Council among others.
Mrs Naa Adjeley Mensah who won the best farmer is a backyard farmer at Korlebu in the Ablekuma South Sub Metro. She started with just 300 layers four years ago and currently has 250 broilers; 300 cockerels and 4,500 layers and produces an average of 55 trays of eggs a day. She also owns a cowpea, tuber, fruit and vegetable production.
For their prizes, they received items including Deep Freezers, Mesh for fencing, Rambo 500 and 350 poly tanks, Knapsacks, Seeds, insecticides, cutlasses, fertilizers, a laptop, water pump, corn mill motor among others.
Speaking at the event Chief Executive of the AMA, Hon Elizabeth Kwatsoe Sackey congratulated the women for being at the forefront of urban farming in the city adding that with access to information, training, and technology, women could be key agents of change in agriculture, nutrition and rural development.
He said the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led Government has striven to encourage the youth to engage in agriculture since they hold the needed human power to speed up development.
She disclosed that there were 42 registered Backyard Farmers in the Accra Metropolis adding that the figure was expected to increase.
She noted that as part of efforts to promote agriculture, the AMA's agricultural extension workers had been engaging farmers, fishermen and stakeholders within the metropolis on unconventional farming and fishing practices such as backyard and home gardening to boost their means of livelihood and provide capacity building.
She assured that the Assembly would continue to utilize these platforms to inspire farmers and fishermen to keep up with best practices to secure long-term food security and prosperity for all.
She pointed that since land in Accra was limited and scarce the concentration was more on open-space cultivation as well as “enclosed-space” backyard farms or gardens.
The Director of Agriculture at the AMA in a welcome address said consolidating food systems would require the supply of inputs, production of crops, livestock, fish, land other agricultural commodities; transportation, processing, wholesaling, retailing, preparation of food, consumption, and disposal.
He stressed the need to remove restrictions to food production and create an enabling environment to boost production.
