2021 Farmers Day begins

The Adisadel College Park in Cape Coast, the capital town of the Central Region, will be the centre of attraction for the next five days as stakeholders in the agricultural sector and all well-meaning Ghanaians congregate there to honour and reward our hard working and dedicated farmers and fisherfolk.

The weeklong celebration dubbed National Agricultural Fair, begins today, with a keynote address by the Paramount Chief of the Assin Owirenkyi Traditional Area in the Central Region, Ehunabobrim Nana Prah Agyensaim VI, as the Special Guest of Honour.

Regional focus

The innovation to the celebration , introduced last year, known as the regional focus days, has come to stay. The innovation enables the regions to mount exhibitions and showcase their agricultural potential, alongside displaying their rich culture and foods peculiar to each region, coupled with cultural displays.

Day One

The Central Region will welcome patrons with local delicacies such as “fanti-fanti”, “kenkey, banku, “gari foto”. At the Eastern Regional stand, patrons will enjoy ampesi, fufu and light or palm nut soup with snails, which the Akwapims call “mmekwan ne nnwaw”.

The Northern Region will serve its patrons with “tubaani”, “koko” and millet/corn porridge eaten with “koose” fried bean cakes, as well as “zom krom” and pito, while the Bono Region will feed patrons to its stand with fufu with “Nkotomire” soup, plantain and cocoyam “Ampesi” to go with palm wine and local gin, “akpeteshie” the Western North Region will feed patrons with a variety of food items such as kenkey with hot pepper and fried fish, banku with fried fish and pepper or with okro, as well as “red red”.

The day will be rounded up with the ADB welcome cocktail for all the farmers and exhibitors.

Day two

On Tuesday, the day two, guests and patrons of the celebration will have the opportunity to taste delicious foods such as “tubaani” and Tuo Zafi(TZ) with green, green from the Upper West Regional stand, while being entertained with “bawaa” dance.

Patrons in the Greater Accra Regional stand will be treated to kenkey with hot pepper and fried fish, banku with fried fish and pepper or with okro or groundnut soup, “red red” or yo-ke-gari- beans stew, fried plantain or tatale. Surely, the region will make available its traditional sacred food, “kpokpoi”, while the Ashanti Region will entertain its guests with the popular “adowa”, while enjoying the popular fufu with all its condiments.

The Oti Region will not only showcase the popular “akple” with okro soup, fufu with palmnut soup, abolo with shrimps and the popular “one man thousand”, they would entertain patrons with some “boboobo” dance, while patrons will be welcomed to a variety of food items ranging from kenkey with hot pepper and fried fish, banku with fried fish and pepper or with okro, as well as “red red” or yo-ke-gari in the stand of the Western Region.

At the Savannah Regional stand, patrons can be sure of some TZ with green green, “tubaani”,” koozie” and some food from the abundance of yam.

The second day will be rounded up with a field trip.

Day three

The third day, which completes the regional focus, will be the turn of the Upper East, North East, Ahafo, Bono East and Volta regions, to showcase their agricultural potential, tourist attractions and their rich cultural heritage.

On that day, patrons can be sure of their fufu with “Nkotomire” soup, plantain and cocoyam “Ampesi” to go with palm wine and local gin, akpeteshie from the Ahafo and Bono regions, while the Volta regional stand welcomes patrons with akple with okro soup, fufu with palmnut soup, abolo with shrimps and the popular “one man thousand” they would be entertained with agbaza and boboobo.

The Upper East and North East stands with serve tubaani, koko and millet/corn porridge eaten with koose fried bean balls, as well as zom krom and pito while being entertained with the Dia War Dance and Bamaya Dance respectively.

Day four

Day four, dubbed the “ADB Day”, will be dedicated to the headline sponsor, the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), where management and staff of the bank will interact with farmers and attend to their concerns.

Climax

The bank will also educate farmers on some of its latest innovative services and the digital platforms available. Award winners will rehearse and be taken through the programme for the climax, that is the awards day on the fifth day, which will be marked with a grand durbar and the awards ceremony.

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to be the special guest of honour on the fifth day to decorate the Best Farmer to climax the day.

The question now is, who takes over from the 2020 National Best Farmer, Mr Solomon Kwadwo Kusi?

The stakes are high and it is on December 3, 2021 that the answer will be provided.

Writer’s Email: severious.dery@graphic.com.gh