Reports reaching GARDJA.org indicates that government, through the Ministry of Finance, is yet to release funds for the organization of this year’s Farmers’ Day celebrations at the regional levels.
Almost all the about ten regional offices of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) are said not to have received funds for the organization of the celebration set aside for farmers in the country.
The national farmer’s day celebration is a national event was instituted by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to honor hardworking and dedicated farmers throughout the country.
This year’s celebration is scheduled to take place on the 4th of December, 2015 at Bolgataga.
This will be the 31st anniversary since the inception of the awards. The ceremony over the years has contributed immensely to boost agricultural productivity in the country.
However, the celebrations in recent times have been marred with some controversies. It would be recalled that during the 2014 Farmers’ Day celebration some hardworking farmers were honored with Joy Daddy Bitters, a bar of key soap among other nonessential items.
Last year’s event witnessed similar delays in the release of funds for the celebrations.
According to a reliable source at the office of MoFA in the Ashanti region, no donation has so far been made by corporate organizations. The source also disclosed that judging by what is happening if no corporate support is immediately received; no farmer in the region will be honored on the 4th December, 2015.
Reacting to this development, the Ashanti regional chairman for the Ghana Association of Farmers and Fisher Folks, Rev. Kojo Nkrumah, described it as most unfortunate.
“Am unhappy with how the day is funded and celebrated by government,” he stated.
