What you have to know about Farmers’ Day

“Farmers’ Day” was instituted by the Government in 1985 in recognition of the vital role farmers and fishers play in the economy especially the highly commendable output of farmers and fishermen in 1984, (about 30% growth), after the bad agricultural years of 1982 and 1983.

The day is celebrated to motivate them to produce more.

The first National Farmers’ Day was celebrated on Friday, December 1986, at Osino in the Eastern Region. It is always the first Friday in the month of December.

The package to the first best farmer was made up of two Machetes, a pair of Wellington boots and a preset radio. Ever since the value of the awards has improved from year to year, moving from bicycle to power tillers to tractors, to pick-ups and presently to a 3-bedroom house since 2002.

The key players of the celebration are the farmers, fishermen, agro-processors, researchers, donors of awards, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Fisheries Commission and financial institutions, Agricultural Input distributors and other service providers.

Farmers and fishermen for the noble prizes do not apply but are dully selected on merit based on the criteria and the procedures described earlier.

 

Below are the themes for the various years farmer’s day since 1990.

1990    –           Increased Agricultural Production for a Better Tomorrow

1991    –           Sustained Agricultural Production, Hallmark of the 31^st December Revolution

1992    –           Agriculture and the Ghanaian Economy Eleven Years in Retrospect

1993    –           An Efficient Marketing System A Booster to Sustained Agricultural and Industrial Growth

1994    –           Food Preservation for Price Stability

1995    –           Scientific Farming for Higher Productivity

1996    –           The Human Resource A Crucial Factor in Agricultural Development

1997    –           Sustainable Food Security A Challenge to the Youth

1998    –           Empowering the Youth for Accelerated Agricultural Growth

1999    –           Effective Marketing Promotes Agricultural Production

2000    –           Processing of Agricultural Produce The Way Forward

2001    –           Let Us Grow What We Eat, Eat What We Grow and Can What We Cannot

2002    –           Modernising Agriculture to Enhance Rural Development

2003    –           Enhancing Agricultural Productivity and Food Security Through Improved Agri-Business

2004    –           Food Safety and Improved Nutrition for a Healthy and Active Nation

2005    –           Agricultural Production and Productivity the Key to Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction

2006    –           The Youth Employment Program:  An Avenue for Sustaining Agricultural Development

2007    –           Ghana @ 50:   Progress and Challenges of Sustainable Agricultural Development

2008    –           Globalisation: Its effects on Agricultural Production in Ghana.

2009      –           Accelerated Agricultural Modernization for Food Security and Economic Transformation

2010 –  Grow More Food

2011 – “Grow More Food: Research for Sustainable Agriculture Development”

2012 – “Grow More Food: Strengthening Farmer Based Organizations for Market Place Bargaining Power”

2013 – “ Managing Post Harvest Losses”

2014  –  “Eat what you grow”

2015  –  “Transform Ghana: Invest in Agriculture”

2016 – Agriculture; A business response to economic growth

2017 – “Planting for Food and Jobs”.

 

Compiled by GCP Team