Fishmonger Crowned The Overall Best Farmer Of Accra Metropolis

Madam Gloria Odarkor Lamptey, a 61-year- old fishmonger based at Chorkor, who is also into goats rearing and owns three canoes, was on Friday adjourned the 2010 Overall Best Farmer for the Accra Metropolis. She received a set of furniture, cloths and farming equipment. Twenty one other farmers were also awarded and they took home farming equipment including wheelbarrows, shovels, fertilizers and ghetto blasters. In a message read on his behalf at the Farmers' Day celebration in Accra Mr Alfred Vanderpuije, the Mayor of Accra, praised the agriculture sector for employing between 50 to 60 percent of the nation's labour force. "Its contribution to the Gross Domestic product (GDP) is about 37 percent and it's also a major contributor to the foreign exchange earnings of the country," he said. Mr Vanderpuije said more food should be produced to reduce the high expenditure on food in the country and also make it available for all. He cited the establishment of Block Farming which provided tractor services, improved seeds and other services to farmers and the establishment of the Buffer Stock Company which would also ensure the availability of food during lean seasons, as some of the measures government had taken to boost farming.