The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) has hosted the 2021 National Best Farmers Award winners to a Welcome Cocktail.

The cocktail, which has become part of the National Farmers’ Day celebration for the past 12 years, is organized by the bank to welcome the best farmers who have been nominated at the national level for awards.

The event was organized in the Central Regional capital, Cape Coast where this year’s National Farmers’ Day celebration will be held.

The ‘Welcome Cocktail’ is held to welcome the National Best Farmers and also to appreciate the hard work of the farmers.

In a remark on behalf of the Managing Director, the General Manager for Agribusiness at ADB, Kwame Asiedu Attrams congratulated the nominees for coming tops in their respective regions to be given the national recognition.

He indicated that the bank, aside from sponsoring the ultimate prize package of $100,000 and the National Farmer’s Forum, the welcome cocktail had also become a key sponsorship package for the National Farmers’ Day celebration to give the national heroes the opportunity to interact with one another.

“The welcome cocktail affords the winners the opportunity to interact with each other, government officials and also ADB Management to further deepen a stronger working relationship,” he said.

Mr. Attrams reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to support farmers and fishers with tailor-made products and services which would make banking easier and better for them.

“The commitment of the bank to be awarding the cedi equivalent of US$100,000 to the Ultimate Winner as well as the sponsorship of this welcome cocktail and the National Farmers Forum is a further testament of the Bank’s commitment to the agricultural sector” he said.

For his part, the Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan welcomed the award winners to the region and congratulated them for their hard work.

Mrs. Assan also commended ADB for its support towards the National Farmers’ Day celebration over the past two decades as a means of giving relevance to the agricultural sector.

The Minister Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto also commended the Farmers and Fishers for their continuous commitment in feeding the country.

“Through sound government policies and your dedication to the agricultural sector even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic there was still food sufficiency and so you deserve to be celebrated”, he said.