The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has congratulated farmers as Ghana marks National Farmer's Day.

In a statement, AGRA said it is time for a focus on the sustainable transformation of our food systems for the benefit of farmers.

Below is the full statement:

Happy National Farmer's Day to our hardworking farmers and fishermen across the 16 regions of Ghana. We are proud of you for all the hard work you do to make our nation great and strong.

Your work is most critical to our very survival, yet not always pay the highest of dividends. But you never give up on your efforts to keep us all satisfied.  It’s easy for consumers to take the food we eat for granted when they are in abundance. But days like National Farmers’ Day serve as a gentle reminder to all of us that we need to be grateful to you our brave farmers, without whom our people will go hungry.  Nations hardly prosper if they lack the capacity to feed themselves.

The first Friday of December (when National Farmers Day is celebrated annually) is always a special moment for us here at AGRA. This is because it is the day the entire nation gets to celebrate farmers, and AGRA is a farmer-centred organisation. Farmers work 365 days a year, sometimes, 366. Usually with no leave days. And so, to have a day like this to celebrate you is really a worthwhile gesture by the government and the people of Ghana.

This year’s National Farmers Day is being celebrated under the theme; “Accelerating Agricultural Development Through Value Addition.” At AGRA, we believe that it is time for focus on the sustainable transformation of our food systems with the need to better integrate our six core agricultural systems: seeds; fertilizers; extensions; input markets; inclusive finance; and output markets.

Value addition is a critical aspect of the agricultural system that we believe stakeholders in the sector should invest more in so that farmers can earn better profits from their produce and reduce post-harvest losses. We believe ensuring value addition through increased support for small–scale processing machinery and cottage industries in farming communities is one sure way to build entrepreneurial farmers who can work across the agricultural value chain, moving food products from farms to the plates of consumers.

Working with governments to develop state capacity, the private sector, civil society institutions, and development partners, we at AGRA wish to express our commitment to catalyzing the needed transformation in Ghana’s food systems through increased support and value addition.

Once again, happy National Farmers Day to all food growers in Ghana. We wish you bumper harvests and good profits in the year ahead and beyond.