Farmers Day awards: From preset radios to houses
In December 1986, when the first winner of the National Best Farmer Awards walked home with a preset radio, two machetes and a pair of wellington boots at Osino in the Eastern Region, the prizes were considered enviable.
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About three decades on, the National Best Farmer receives a house constructed at a location of his or her choice at a cost of between GH¢600, 000 and GH¢1 million as part of the government’s efforts at motivating farmers and fishermen in the country to increase their output.
The National Farmers Day Awards were instituted in 1985 by the PNDC government to honour farmers and fishermen in recognition of their positive response to the government’s call for increased food production following poor agricultural yields in 1982 and 1983 caused by an unprecedented incidence of bush fire.
Today, the nation marks the 29th edition of the awards which have so far rewarded about 1600 farmers throughout the country.
From preset radio to house
Gradually the awards have evolved since their inception due to the year-to-year upgrading of prizes for hardworking farmers.
From 1985 when the government announced the ultimate prize of two machetes, a pair of Wellington boots and a wooden radio set, the competition to win the highest award — the overall best farmer — has been very keen.
The second person to become the national best farmer in 1987, Mr Thomas Ahima from the Brong Ahafo Region, received farming equipment, in addition to what his predecessor had picked up.
Subsequently, before the awards could hit the decade mark, some new prizes, such as bicycles, motorcycles, power tillers and cash, were introduced.
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The 1993 winner at the ninth Farmers Day at Akuse, which was on the theme, “An efficient marketing system – A booster to sustained agriculture and industrial growth", Nana Aforo Kwao II from the Western Region, received an improved prize.
Then the government included vehicles such as pickups and tractors to widen the smiles on the faces of the winners.
However, as if to make good the saying that the best was yet to come, in 2001 the government announced that national best farmers from that year would receive three-bedroom houses.
For the first time since the commencement of the awards for farmers, Nana Mathew Akwesi Bonsu, 51, was handed over the keys to his house when he was named the National Best Farmer in 2001.
A year later, Mr Abudu Takora-Tubu, a 65-year-old farmer from Adudukrom in the Upper Denkyira District in the Central Region, also got a GH¢30,000 for being the best farmer in 2002.
At a ceremony in Cape Coast to mark the 19th National Farmers Day in 2003, Kwabena Adjei Twum Bandoh, a 54-year-old accountant and Managing Director of Bandoh Commercial Farms, was crowned the best farmer and asked to choose a location of his choice where his three-bedroom house would be constructed.
In 2004, the only woman to have ever won the awards, Madam Afua Frimponmaa, a widow and mother of 11 from Agona Nkum in the Central Region, received the keys to a GH¢60,000 three-bedroom flat at the Beach Drive at Krokrobite near Accra .
But the ultimate prize has been increased since, as from 2005 to 2010 the three-bedroom houses were furnished for the winners who also received pick-up vehicles.
In 2011, Mr Ignatius Agbo, a 56-year-old farmer in the Upper Denkyira East municipality, who was winner on the 27th Farmers Day, in addition to the house, received a generator, a laptop and a modem to help him access the Internet. He also had a life insurance cover and enjoyed a fully paid trip to India where he interacted with farmers in that country to learn from them.
The youngest award winner, Mr Lamuel Quarshie Martey, a 38-year-old farmer from Ningo Prampram, was named the best farmer in 2012 when the ceremony was held at Abokobi in the Ga East District.
For his prize, Mr Martey was told he would be the proud owner of a three-bedroom house to be constructed at a place of his choice, a generator and an insurance package.
Call for review of awards
In the past years, private companies, individuals and organisations have supported the Minsitry of Agriculture with cash, vehicles and other items which are used as prizes for the farmers. The three-bedroom house is currently sponsored by the Agricultural Development Bank.
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The Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition is not happy with the awards scheme for the farmers which is aimed at bringing all farmers together to foster unity and cooperation, as well as appreciate efforts of farmers.
The Coordinator of the coalition, Mr Ibrahim Akabila, urged the government to review the awards scheme by setting annual production targets for the various crops by which the farmers would be accessed.
He also suggested that provision for credit facilities for the farmers be included in the awards to encourage and help them meet their annual targets.
Mr Akabila was of the view that such a move would create a level playing field for all farmers to avoid the situation where some hardworking farmers did not get the needed recognition.
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President of award winners
Philip Abayori, President of the National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association, is happy that the prizes for the winners have improved significantly and that second and third prizes winners also receive pickups and water pumps to advance their work.
He said since the inception of the awards, they had achieved the aim for which they were instituted by eroding the negative perception about farming and honouring the farmers.
He said the farmers were being rewarded for their continued dedication to production.
“It is also a good thing that the day has been set aside as a holiday; it reinforces the fact that farmers are important and deserve to be honoured,” he said.
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He explained that the awards scheme considered farmers who were doing agriculture as a business and not for mere subsistence.
From a wooden preset radio to a well-furnished house, it is believed that the prizes for the gallant farmers who work hard to ensure that aagriculture still continues to be the backbone of Ghana’s economy will continue to improve as Ghana keeps on celebrating its dear farmers.