Mr. Chairman,
Hon. MPs of Garu and Tempane Constituencies
Hon. Presiding Member,
Hon. Assembly Members Present,
Heads of Department,
The Director of Agriculture and Staff,
Our Respected Chiefs and Queens,
Our Gallant Farmers,
Members of the Press,
Distinguished Invited Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
I am highly honoured for this singular opportunity to be part of the celebration of this year’s National Farmers Day of the Garu-Tempane District and most importantly to address this august gathering on behalf of the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E John Dramani Mahama.
Before I continue, I wish to thank the Planning Committee for their efforts in making this important programme come to a readily.
I also wish to acknowledge the foresight and vision of the founding fathers of this Day for setting aside the 1st Friday of every December to Celebrate and honour our gallant Farmers and fisher folk through whose sweat and toil Ghanaians are able to get food to eat. This year, because of the election in December, the Day has been drawn backward to today, 4th November 2016.
Before I continue, I wish to thank the Planning Committee for their efforts in making this important programme come to a readily.
I also wish to acknowledge the foresight and vision of the founding fathers of this Day for setting aside the 1st Friday of every December to Celebrate and honour our gallant Farmers and fisher folk through whose sweat and toil Ghanaians are able to get food to eat. This year, because of the election in December, the Day has been drawn backward to today, 4th November 2016.
Mr. Chairman available statistics indicate that more than 60% of the population of Ghana is engaged in agriculture. This figure may even be higher when we include people who are indirectly involved in agriculture in activities such as distribution and agro-processing.
A part from Mining and the Services sectors, agriculture is one of the major foreign exchange earners of the country, contributing significantly to the development of the country since independence.
Mr. Chairman, it is in the light of this tremendous contribution of farmers to the socio-economic growth of this Country that I see this ceremony, to honour and award gallant Farmers, whose sweat and toil brings food to our tables, very befitting and worth celebrating.
Mr. Chairman, the theme of this year’s celebration, “Agriculture: A business response to economic growth” is very significant coming at the time when the generality of Ghanaians are calling for massive investment in the manufacturing and agricultural and agro-processing sector in order to propel growth as well as change the structure of the economy from dependence on primary commodities to that of processed ones.
Mr. Chairman, Ghana has the competitive advantage of using agriculture as a tool for the transformation of the national economy because the climatic conditions in most parts of the country support the production of non-traditional cash crops such rice, vegetables, fruits to mention but a few better than our competing countries. This means, through increased production and value chain enhancement, agriculture can lead to increase in foreign exchange improving the country’s reserves and stabilization the national economy.
It is in the light of the tremendous potential of Agriculture in the acceleration of the economic growth of the country that government and the MMDAs are undertaking several initiatives aimed at mordernising and improving agricultural production and productivity.
Fertilizer Subsidy Programme
Mr. Chairman, the Fertilizer Subsidy Programme is a central government intervention in the agric sector and implemented to enhance access to fertilizer by small-scale farmers.
During the 2016 crop season, a total of 15,200 farmers’ passbooks were issued to enable farmers purchase the subsidized fertilizer. A total of 42,881bags fertilizer comprising 34,355 bags NPK and 8,526 bags Urea was accessed by farmers for crop production.
A total of 61,325 farmers were able to access fertilizer under Government Fertilizer Subsidy Programme.
Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP)
Another government programme which contributed significantly to agricultural production as well as productivity during the year was the Northern Rural growth programme.
Under the programme, a total of 76 farmer groups with total membership of 1,135 farmers made up of 364 male and 796 female received support in the form of credit from BESSFA Rural Bank, extension service, improved seed and fertilizer to produce maize, soyabeans and sorghum. An amount of GH 388,395.00 was disbursed to the beneficiary farmers.
The programme also constructed a warehouse in Garu for the aggregation of grains from subsistent farmers during glut periods for sale during periods of scarcity in order to add value to farmers produce. It is my hope that when the warehouse is completed it would tremendously enhance farm family incomes in the District.
I wish to also announce that, an Agric Mechanisation centre would soon be established in Garu, equipped with tractors, combined harvesters and other agricultural machinery to provide services to farmers of the District as well as those in the Bawku Municipal, Pusiga and Bunkpurugu-Yoyo Districts. This follows the recent announcement by H.E The President of the Republic of Ghana, Mr. John Dramani Mahama at the commissioning ceremony for the Construction of the Tamne Dam.
Mr. Chairman, it would be recalled that H.E, the president of the Republic of Ghana, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, cut sod for work to commence on the Tamne Irrigation dam few months ago. As I speak the contractor is on Site stockpiling material and it is hoped that work would be completed on schedule. The Dam when completed would provide all-year-around irrigation facility to 1000s of families in the Garu Tempane, Binduri and Zebilla Districts as well as people of the Bawku Municipality.
It expected that farmers would produce rice and vegetables for export to the southern sector as well as our neighbouring countries thereby boosting the incomes of farm families in the District as well as improving the food security situation.
Mr. Chairman, one project that the Assembly is using to ensure food security as well as reduce poverty in the District is the Rice Sector Support Project. Through this project, many rural women are given support more than their male counterparts at various valleys where the projects are being implemented.
The Project has developed three valleys in the district at Azimbaas, Yizidug and Baaring in Kugri area to increase local production of rice. The total area developed in the three valleys is 225 ha (563 acres). Out of this, 182 ha (455 acres) was put to rice cultivation this year, representing 85.2% of the area developed.
A total of 798 farmers comprising 342 male and 456 female are participating in the Project. Three (3) improved rice verities have been introduced to farmers through the Project. They include Gbewa rice, AGRA, and Tox3107 rice.
It is the belief of Government that this project would help improve food security in the beneficiary communities and increased earnings from the Project would help improve household incomes and better the lot of the communities.
Mr. Chairman under the Ghana Social Opportunity Project (GSOP), many dam projects have been executed in the District. The under listed dam projects are on-going in the District.
GSOP PROJECTS (Dams)
| SN | NAME OF PROJECT | LOCATION | FUNDING SOURCE | STATUS |
| 1 | Rehabilitation of Aloko Dam: | Aloko | GSOP | 80% Completed |
| 2 | Rehabilitation of Gagbiri Dam:
|
Gagbiri | GSOP | 95 |
| 3 | Rehabilitation of Worikambo Dam: | Worikambo | 98 | |
| 4 | Rehabilitation of Denugu Dam: | Denugu | 95 | |
| 5 | Rehabilitation of Zesire Dam: | zesire | 70 | |
| 6 | Rehabilitation of Kpikpira Dam: | Kpkpira | 80 | |
| 7 | Rehabilitation of Vambara Dam: | Vambara | 95 |
Mr. Chairman, in order to mitigate the impact of climate change on crop yields and livestock rearing, the District Assembly in collaboration with its development partners especially GSOP has established many mango Plantations in the District. The under listed communities are some of the places where some of the plantations are located.
| SN | NAME OF PROJECT | LOCATION | FUNDING SOURCE |
| 1 | Establishment of Mango Plantation at Zeseri
|
Zesire | GSOP |
| 2 | Establishment of Mango Plantation at Tubong/Konkomada
|
Tubong/
Konkomada |
GSOP |
| 3 | Establishment of Mango Plantation at Zeseri
|
Kolbore | GSOP |
| 4 | Establishment of Mango Plantation at Zeseri
|
Kulmasug | GSOP |
| 5 | Establishment of Mango Plantation at Zeseri
|
Nambina | GSOP |
| 6 | Establishment of Mango Plantation at Zeseri
|
Bugpiigu | GSOP |
| 7 | Establishment of Mango Plantation at Zeseri
|
Nyasbara | GSOP |
| 8 | Establishment of Mango Plantation at Zeseri
|
Yabrago | GSOP |
| 9 | Establishment of Mango Plantation at Zeseri
|
Kpatia | GSOP |
| 10 | Establishment of Mango Plantation at Zeseri
|
Tamne | GSOP |
| 11 | Establishment of Mango Plantation at Zeseri
|
Kongo | GSOP |
ROADS
Mr. Chairman, the Assembly is also conscious of improving the road network in the district in order to open up markets for farm produce with a view to reducing post-harvest losses and prices of farm produce thereby increasing food security in the District. Apart from the routine maintenance which is currently on-going, the Assembly, in collaboration with the GSOP is also currently engaged in the rehabilitation of the following roads:
| SN | NAME OF PROJECT | LOCATION | FUNDING SOURCE |
| 1 | Maintenance of feeder road
|
Songo-Takore | GSOP |
| 2 | Maintenance of feeder road
|
Bantafarigu-Kariyata I | GSOP |
| 3 | Maintenance of feeder road
|
Bantafarigu-Kariyata II | GSOP |
| 4 | Reshaping of feeder roads
|
Duuri-Denugu Lot I | GSOP |
| 5 | Reshaping of feeder Roads
|
Duuri Primary School Juncture-Dusbulga II | GSOP |
| 6 | Maintenance of feeder road
|
Kugri-Vambara | GSOP |
Mr. Chairman, the Livestock Development Project (LDP) was initiated by government to give small ruminants (sheep and goats) to farmers on loan. For the year 2016, 198 small ruminants have been recovered and reissued as loan to other farmers. A total of 102 sheep and 96 goats have been given to new beneficiaries. A total of 23 famers made up of 9 male and 14 female received the sheep and goats.
Under the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) project government through support from the World Bank have given grants to farmers in the form of small ruminants and poultry. The type of animals beneficiaries received includes sheep, goats, pigs and guinea fowls.
A total of 379 people comprising 114 male and 265 female benefited from the JSDF grant under the livestock sector.
At this juncture Mr. Chairman, it is my pleasure to announce that a total of 30 Farmers in the District would be award with various prices for excelling this year in their various areas of endeavour. I also wish to announce that two farmers from the district have been nominated for Regional Awards (i.e., Best maize far and Best Physically challenged Farmers). I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the winners and to urge them to work harder to win Regional and National Prices.
Before I take my seat, I would like to thank everybody especially our Chiefs and Queens for taking time off to grace this very important programme. I wish to also reiterate my appreciation the Planning Committee for making this programme a reality.
Thank you all and have a joyous celebration.
