The Millennium Development Authority (MDA), has given approval for the development of 95 farmer-based organizations, with a total membership of 4,750 to directly benefit from the programme. The programme would cover the farmers for a period of five years in the Kwahu South and East Districts, to increase food, livestock and fish production. The farmers group would receive irrigation facilities and other essential farming inputs, credit facilities, construction of roads, schools and clinics to enhance the living standard of farmers in the area. The Kwahu South District Chief Executive, Nana Onwona Asante, announced this at the 24th National Farmers’ Day celebration for the two districts at Adawso, where 20 farmers, who distinguished themselves in the cultivation of various food crops, livestock and fish, were honoured. He said the first batch of 35 groups, involving 1,750 farmers were about to complete the first phase of the Farmer Based Organization (FBO), capacity training programme, while the training for the second batch would soon commence. Nana Asante said 59,400 acres of cocoa farms for 6,141 farmers were expected to be sprayed under the mass cocoa spraying exercise to control cocoa diseases and pest control (CODAPC), to increase production in the area. He advised against bush fires, to enhance the production of cash crops and other agriculture produce in the district. The District Fire Officer, Mr Paul Akesseh, appealed to the communities to assist the newly trained fire volunteers to put off bush fires and also urged the trainees to educate the people on the effect of bushfires on the environment. The district best farmer award went to Mr Kwesi Frimpong, 46, who cultivated various food crops and had a livestock and poultry farm on a 75 acre land at Agyebua village, near Kwahu Tafo. He received a bicycle, certificate, a 21- inches television set, one knapsack spraying machine, a pair of wellington boots, six cutlasses and a full piece of cloth. The best physically challenged farmer award went to Mr Yaw Tsotovor from Adawso while 70 other farmers also received cutlasses each. Source: GNA