Ga West MCE Advocates Home Gardening to Boost Food Security and Resilience

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Ga West Municipal Assembly, Mr Clement Wilkinson, has encouraged citizens to adopt home gardening as a sustainable solution to enhancing food security and resilience.

He highlighted the importance of home gardening as a practical and sustainable way to address concerns over climate change, food shortages, and rising food costs.

The MCE made these remarks during the Assembly’s celebration of the 40th National Farmers’ Day, held at the forecourt of the Assembly in Amasaman, Greater Accra Region.

This year’s celebration was themed “Building Climate-Resilient Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security.” Unlike previous years, where the event is typically observed on the first Friday of December, this year’s occasion was held earlier, on 8th November 2024, due to the General Elections scheduled for 7th December.

Mr Wilkinson remarked:

“By growing your own fruits, vegetables, herbs, and even small livestock, one reduces reliance on commercial food systems that may be vulnerable to disruptions due to weather events, transportation challenges, or global crises.”

He emphasised the critical role of agriculture as the backbone of Ghana’s economy, noting that food security is a shared responsibility and not solely the duty of farmers. He urged all citizens to actively contribute to a sustainable food future by embracing home gardening, not only to feed their families but also to foster self-reliance and climate-resilient communities.

The MCE also congratulated the awardees of the day, commending their dedication and hard work in contributing to the nation’s agricultural development.

Achievements in Agriculture Highlighted

Mrs Angelina Owusu Ansah, the Municipal Director of Agriculture for the Assembly, underscored the significant role agriculture plays in the socio-cultural and economic life of Ghanaians. She noted that agriculture remains a key source of food, nutrition, employment, and income.

She mentioned that, during the year under review, the Government launched the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme. Unlike the first phase, which focused on input subsidies, Phase II introduced an input credit scheme as its core feature.

“So far, 410 farmers have been registered within the Ga West Municipality,” she reported.

Mrs Ansah also revealed that the Government had distributed essential farm inputs to 200,000 registered farmers nationwide through the Ghana Agriculture and Agribusiness Platform, with 97 beneficiaries from the Ga West Municipality.

In addition to providing inputs, the Department of Agriculture has been actively supporting farmers through home and farm visits. Extension officers have been sharing updated techniques and climate-smart agricultural practices to enhance productivity and resilience.

Honouring Agricultural Excellence

The event saw several farmers recognised for their contributions to agriculture in the municipality.

Madam Agnes Oye from Ocherikomfo was named the Best Farmer in the Municipality, receiving a certificate, a television set, six cutlasses, six bars of soap, four knapsack sprayers, a deep freezer, four pairs of boots, two half pieces of cloth, and six bags of compost.

Other awardees included:

• Mr Isaac Dodoo Otto: Best Crops Farmer
• Mr Samuel Osei: Best Livestock Farmer
• Ms Grace Adayalor: Best Woman Farmer
• Mr Alfred Borquaye: Best Physically Challenged Farmer
• Ms Beatrice Bamfo: Best Agricultural Staff

The celebration highlighted the invaluable contributions of farmers to national development and reinforced the need for collective efforts to ensure sustainable food security in Ghana.