Peter Torkpo, Crowned Obuasi’s Overall Best Farmer
A celebrated mixed-crop and livestock farmer, Peter Torkpo, has been adjudged the Overall Best Farmer at the 41st National Farmers Day celebration in the Obuasi Municipality, honouring his exceptional work in both crop cultivation and animal rearing.
His farm features cocoa, oil palm, assorted vegetables, cassava and plantain, demonstrating strong commitment to diversified agriculture.
Addressing the gathering, the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Faustilove Appiah Kannin, highlighted this year’s theme, “Eat Ghana, Grow Ghana, Secure the Future,” as a vital call to deepen investment in local agriculture and protect the nation’s food security. She encouraged residents to prioritise Ghanaian produce and urged farmers to take advantage of the Feed Ghana Programme.
Hon. Appiah Kannin also appealed to traditional leaders to release land for young farmers and stressed the need to curtail illegal mining, which continues to destroy arable land and water bodies.
She further called for investment in small-scale processing units, improved seeds, irrigation expansion and the adoption of climate-resilient, semi-mechanised farming systems. She acknowledged support from AngloGold Ashanti, rural banks and private partners.
For his part, the Municipal Director of Agriculture, Mr. Yaw Donkor Jnr., encouraged farmers to embrace modern farming practices, seek technical guidance from the Agriculture Department, and form cooperatives to enhance market access and pricing.
In his acceptance remarks, Peter Torkpo expressed gratitude to God and the Municipal Assembly. He appealed for government support in providing reclamation machines to restore farmlands damaged by illegal mining.
As his prize, he received an Aboboyaa tricycle, a 65-inch Samsung television, a knapsack sprayer, boots, cloth, a radio, keysoap, weedicide and cutlasses.
At the end of the event, several individuals were also honoured for their excellence in various agricultural fields.
They included Justice Abban as the runner-up to the Overall Best Farmer, Edward Atongotore for Best Cereal (Maize), Harriet Oduro as Best Agro Marketer, Emmanuel Owusu for Best Plantain, Stephen Osei Boateng for Best Root and Tuber (Cassava), and Charles Nkrumah as Best Vegetable Farmer.
Others recognised were Akwasi Amankwah for Best Tree Crop (Oil Palm), Hakim Adamu as Best Poultry Farmer, Stanley Oppong Ofori as Best Pig Farmer, Yaw Frank as Best Backyard Farmer, James Owusu as Best Cocoa Farmer, Eugene Coffie as Best Youth Farmer, Hannah Preprah as Best Non-Traditional Agric Farmer, Faith Annor as Best Technical Staff, and Salam Barikisu, who emerged as Best Woman Farmer.
