THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD Davies Naa Korboe, the Chief Executive Officer of Rite FM, based in Somanya in the Eastern Region, was yesterday adjudged this year’s National Best Farmer at a colourful durbar held at the Jubilee Park in Tamale.
For his prize, he is to be given a well-furnished three-bedroom house to be located at any place of his choice. The prize was donated by the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB).
Naa Korboe cultivates maize, yam, soybean, mango and a teak plantation on a total of 1,800 acres with about 74 workers under him.
The second National Best Farmer award went to 62-year-old Ms Eva Ameterpe Agbovi from Sege, near Ada in the Greater Accra Region. She took home a double-cabin pick-up vehicle valued at about GH¢34,800, donated by Stanbic Bank. She is into fishing and vegetable farming.
The third place was won by 54-year-old Reverend Daniel Gbande from Kpandai in the Northern Region. He is into poultry and the cultivation of cashew, maize, rice and other crops.
He was given a tractor and other implements like a plough valued at GH¢18,000 donated by Technik Agriculture Equipment Company Limited.
In all, 66 individuals, including 11 females and a physically challenged person, were among the award winners who received prizes in such categories as fishing, livestock and cultivation of food crops. There were also special awards like the best Agricultural Extension Agent Award.
The special award winners received such items as refrigerators, colour television sets, bicycles, grinding mills, machetes and wellington boots.
Naa Korboe thanked the government on behalf of his colleagues for honouring them and pledged to work harder.
Later, Naa Korboe told the Daily Graphic that he felt “good and proud as a Ghanaian farmer”.
He explained that he got into farming as far back as 1998 through his father, who was a wealthy farmer.
This year’s celebration, which was the 25th in the series, was held on the theme “Accelerated Agricultural Modernisation for Food Security and Economic Transformation”.
The President, Mr. John Evans Atta Mills, and government officials graced the occasion.
The first National Farmers’ Day was held on December 6, 1985 at Osino in the Eastern Region. The value of the awards since then has improved from bicycles to power tillers, tractors, pick-up vehicles and finally to a three bed-room house.
The day lived up to its billing as a Silver Jubilee celebration yesterday, when it witnessed an array of splendid cultural display, coupled with the grandeur exhibition of foodstuffs and agricultural machinery.
It was the second time the Northern Region was hosting the event, since it first hosted it in 1988.
The arrival of some prominent chiefs at the anniversary grounds sitting on their ceremonial horses, twisting and turning to tunes from traditional drummers enlivened the place.
Then came the arrival of the President, who was welcomed by cheers from the public, after which he toured the grounds to greet the chiefs and inspected the items on exhibition.
Drummers produced lively traditional tunes to which energetic dancers performed some powerful dances that reminded the people of the beautiful culture of the north that had been undermined due to conflicts.
The Basares of Tatale performed their Fire Dance, whiles the Konkombas from Saboba performed the War Dance.
The Dagombas also performed various dances, notably Takai and Bamaya.
At one stage, the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Sumani Nayina, and his deputy, Mr Moses Mabingban, could not resist but to join the dancers to celebrate the occasion and also entertain the President, who was making his first official visit to the region.
Some District Chief Executives also joined the cultural troops from their districts to put up a good show.
The event saw the patronage of very important personalities such as ministers of state, agriculturists, researchers, traditional authorities, exporters, farmers and other stakeholders, most of whom were adorned in beautiful traditional wears, such as smocks, kente and the Farmers’ Day Silver Jubilee cloth.
The President was himself sported the anniversary cloth, with black trousers and shoes to match.
One of the personalities whose presence accounted partly for the huge patronage of the ceremony was the Regent of Dagbon, Kampa Kuya Naa Abdulai Andani.
This was about the second time that the regent was visiting Tamale since he was installed the regent of Dagbon after the burial of the late Ya-Naa Yakubu Andani II.
The regent co-chaired the occasion with the President of the National House of Chiefs, Professor John S. Nabila, who commended the organising committee for putting together a beautiful show.
Contrary to fears of possible security breaches, the event was largely peaceful and characterised by high satisfaction of the feeling of nostalgia for many years after the region was given the opportunity to host a Farmers Day in 1998.
Another key aspect of the ceremony that made it unique from previous ones was the presentation of awards to past agriculture ministers in recognition of their contribution to the development of agriculture in the country.
According to the President, it was appropriate to pay respects to the people who had started the country’s agricultural transformation, adding that “it is best to recognise merit where it is due”.
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