Accra, Dec 12, GNA - Mr Richard Adjuik Awombadek, the 2017 National Youth Farmer has called on the Government to improve on the prize package.
His prize package for that award included a corn mill, a tricycle, three pieces of mosquito net, one piece of Ghana@60 cloth, and assorted Nestle products, one piece of square plate, two pieces of funnel, some fertiliser, a watering can and 10 pieces of nursing pots.
The laureate, who is also the current Presiding Member of the Builsa South District Assembly in the Upper East Region thanked the Government for the prize and recognition, but stated that it was below his expectation.
In a telephone interview the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the award winner said the content of the prize package suggested to him that the prize was an afterthought since the National Youth Best Farmer was not in the original categories of prizes that were to be contested for.
“If it were in the original prizes that were to be contested for, there would be places for first and second runners-up,” Mr Awombadek said, adding that he entered into the race for the prize of National Best Farmer and was surprised when his name was announced in what he called “a non-existing category”.
The laureate, who holds two Masters-one in Finance and another in Public Management, spoke of being engaged in cereal production including maize, rice, millet and sorghum; poultry- guinea fowls, fowls, turkey; and cattle, goats and sheep, with a staff strength of over 77 workers.
He called on the Government to institutionalise the National Youth Best Award to be competed for, rather than it being at the discretion of the Awards Committee.
Furthermore, the Government should improve the prize package for the National Best Youth Farmer to give stronger meaning to policies to attract youth, particularly graduates walking at the corridors of power in search on non-existent white collar jobs.
Also, the Government should encourage inter-regional farm visits, if it could not sponsor farmers to go for exchange programmes abroad.
GNA
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