Wa East Best Farmer advises farmers to follow GAPs

Mr Abudulai Bajuuri, the Wa East District Best Farmer for the 2020 farming season, has advised farmers to observe Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs) in their farming activities in order to benefit from their sweat.

He said he had personally been following the advice from Agricultural Extension Agents on proper farming practices and appropriate crop variety to plant, which had benefited him tremendously.

Mr Bajuuri gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Guonuo in the Wa East District at the weekend after the occasion of the 36th Farmers Day celebration.

The event, which was on the theme: “Agribusiness development under COVID-19 Opportunities and challenges,” saw the Wa East District Assembly awarding 18 farmers, while the Sissala Rural Bank and Vision Farms also awarded eight farmers.

“I don’t refuse advice when the agric workers come here and say anything that we should do this and that or we should plant this type of crop that is what I do. That is what has helped me,” 41 years old Mr Bajuuri explained.

He also advised the general public against bushfire, saying they could destroy farm produce, and in turn affect the economy of the farmer as well as affect human life.

On her part, 28 years old Amamata Sahanun, the winner of the District’s Best Woman Farmer category, advised women farmers to inculcate the habit of saving to help them to improve their farming activities.

“As a woman, I do not have the strength like a man to farm. Because of that I engage labourers to do almost everything for me. When I harvest, I store some of the produce and sell them when I am ready to farm, so I always have some money to pay for the labourers,” she explained.

Madam Sahanun stated that due to the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, they had access to fertilizer at affordable prices which had enabled them to expand their farms.

For his award, Mr Bajuuri received a tricycle, knapsack sprayer, wellington boot and a cutlass, while Madam Sahanun took home a “rubber rubber” motorbike, knapsack sprayer, wellington boot and a cutlass.

The Assembly also awarded the best Assembly Member farmer and the best performing agric officer in the District.

In all, 18 people received awards for the various categories, with eight other persons also receiving awards from the Sissala Rural Bank and Vision Farms.