The 2015|2016 Central Regional Best Cocoa Farmer, Kwesi Kwagya has advised the Government, the Ghana Cocoa Board and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to reward up-coming District and Regional Best Farmers with awards that will entice more people, especially the youth to go into farming.
Speaking in an interview with ghananews247.com, Mr. Kwagya said some of the items presented to Best Framers in the Districts and Regions are rather demean, instead of encouraging them.
Mr. Kwagya who was also adjudged the 2011 District Best Cocoa Farmer in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa area said he was given just a 4-battery radio set, a knapsack sprayer, two cutlasses, a pair of wellington boot and a half piece of cloth, items he said he could have purchased them himself.
He further hinted that in 2915|2016 as the Central Regional Cocoa Farmer, producing not less than 250 bags of cocoa annually, he was only given a wheel barrow, a full piece of cloth, a pair of wellington boot, four cutlasses, a radio set and a cocoa spraying machine as his award.
This items, according to him, rather discourages other people to go into farming instead of enticing them, and has therefore appealed to the government and the relevant institutions that organizes the events to take a second look at the awards, especially those given to Districts and Regional Best Farmers.
By. Robert Ayanful