Mr William Aduum, the Kassena Nankana Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) has called on Ghanaians to develop the taste for locally produced agricultural products to boost the sector and the economy.
He said if Ghanaians were to consume what was being produced locally, it would not only empower the local farmers to produce in large quantities and increase their income levels, but would boost the growth of the local economy as money would be spent locally.
The MCE made the call at the Kassena Nankana Municipal farmers' day celebration, held at Doba, on the theme, "Enhancing small scale agriculture towards agribusiness development".
Mr Aduum said though the government flagship programmes such as the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJs) and Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) among others increased agricultural production in all aspects, farmers could not sell their produce because there was no local market as Ghanaians preferred foreign foods.
Under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJs) Programme, 67,906 bags of 25 kilogrammes of subsidised NPK fertilizers and 17,268 bags of Urea were received this year and sold to 7,240 farmers at subsidised prices and contributed to the abundance of food that the Municipality produced, he said.
He said under the new social intervention programme, the Rearing for Food and Jobs, which was launched this year by the President, 177 farmers including 25 physically challenged persons benefited from the sheep and poultry that were given for breeding.
The MCE said government was committed to building a robust and resilient agricultural economy, and it was left with Ghanaians to patronise what was produced locally to support the farmers to cultivate in large quantities.
Mr Aduum said the construction of a 1000 metric tonnes capacity warehouse at Kapania, in the Municipality was completed to enable farmers store grains and sell in times of good prices for their produce.
"A number of earth dams under the government's flagship programme, One village One Dam policy have been constructed and this would further encourage dry season farming especially among the youth", he added.
In all, 16 farmers were awarded in the various categories.
Mr Philip Akantuge Amoah from Janania community emerged the 2019 best Municipal Farmer and was given a motor-king tricycle, three cutlasses, Knapsack sprayer, Wallington boots, weedicide and a certificate.