AngloGold Ashanti Ghana’s Obuasi Mine has donated items worth GH¢400,000 to eight districts in the Ashanti Region to support this year’s National Farmers Day celebrations.
The items included eight 40-inch LED TVs, eight Motorised Tricycles (Aboboyaa), 24 pairs of Wellington Boots, 96 pieces of GTP wax print, 8 boxes of Key soap, 32 Knapsack sprayers, 120 machetes, and eight boxes of Sunphosate Glyphosate Weedicide.
The items were specifically to support the overall best farmers and the best female farmers in the beneficiary districts.
The beneficiary districts included Obuasi Municipal, Obuasi East District, Adansi Asokwa, Adansi North, Adansi South, Adansi Akrofuom, Amansie Central, and Bekwai Municipal Assembly, which formed the operational areas of the company.
Edmund Oduro Agyei, Head of Stakeholder Engagement and Land Management at AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, who presented the items on behalf ofthe company, said AGAG has consistently sponsored Farmers’ Day as part of their commitment towards the development of Agriculture, a key component in their 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan.
He said the company appreciates the tremendous contributions of farmers to the development of the country, hence it was important for the company to step in to contribute to motivate them to make agriculture attractive, especially to the youth of the country.
“As a company that is much concerned about making communities we operate in better, such donations are done with a firm conviction that agriculture is the mainstay of our people. We believe this will go a long way to encourage our farmers to do more.”
Government commended for PFJ II
The Chief Executive for the Akrofuom district, Dr. Maurice Jonas Woode, lauded AngloGold Ashanti for the annual gesture in supporting the districts to successfully organize the Farmers’ Day awards.
He said the donation will go a long way to relieve the Assemblies of some of the financial burdens involved in organizing such programs.
The Akrofuom DCE, in an interview, praised the government for rolling out phase 2 of the Planting for Food and Jobs program.
Targeted at building on the successes of the initial program, the second phase of the program is a five-year master plan for the transformation of agriculture in Ghana through modernization by the development of selected commodity value chains and active private sector participation.
This, Dr. Woode explained, will further boost agriculture and make it attractive, especially for the youth.
Mensah David, the Adansi South District Director of Agriculture, also commended AngloGold Ashanti for the support, adding that the company has continuously demonstrated its resolve to support agriculture in its operational areas.
He said the contribution of farmers called for the support of all stakeholders to encourage farmers to produce more for the development of the country.
On challenges facing agriculture, Mr. Mensah averred that the activities of illegal miners have destroyed arable lands. He called on Nananom and leaders of communities to help protect lands for agricultural purposes.
This year’s Farmers Day celebration, which is the 39th edition, will be held on December 1, 2023, under the theme “Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience.”
