A Celebration of Farming
Published by Trevor Whitney on Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 9:54 AM.
The Importance of Farming
In Canada we have national holidays to celebrate our independence and war veterans, religious events, and the start of a new year. Here is Ghana they recognize the same reasons for celebration, but on the first friday of December they also take time to celebrate farmers.
Agriculture makes up the livelihood of most people living in northern Ghana and nearly all of those who live in rural areas. It provides jobs to work, food to eat, and money to send children to school. Ghana could not survive if it wasn’t for the farmers who work hard everyday to try and cope with the unpredictable weather year after year.
This year was particularly difficult for farmers in the three Northern Regions. The rains arrived early in May and farmers rushed to prepare their fields and plant their crops. Then in early June just as the seeds were starting to germinate the rains stopped. The drought lasted for over a month with the rains not returning until mid-late July. By then it was too late: all of the crops that had been planted at the start of the growing season had weltered and dried.
Farmers who could afford to buy more seed and replant rushed to do so during the last week of July and first week of August knowing full well that if they didn’t get the seeds in the ground soon it would be too late and the plants wouldn’t have enough time to grow. Those that managed to replant were only able to do a portion of what they had originally planted, and the rest of their fields were left with half-grown withered stalks of maize.
As if the weather hadn’t been difficult enough this farming season when the rains returned they returned without mercy. Rivers rose and crops were drowned or even completely washed away. (I’m sure many of you have read about the floods in the Northern Ghana this September. For those of you who haven’t I have attached a few links below.) When the Volta Rivers receded they left little behind. In all it seems as if the weather this rainy season couldn’t possibly have been any worse.
You may be wondering what is there to celebrate when so many farmers who tried so hard lost everything, but this only amplifies the need to celebrate those farmers who somehow despite all odds managed to have a successful season. There’s a need to recognize model farmers whose motivation and entrepreneurship can provide inspiration and an example to others of what can be achieved in agriculture.
National Farmers’ Day
I wake up at the crack of dawn and eagerly put on my new shirt made of fabric with the MoFA logo plastered all over it. Today is National Farmers’ Day and I’m headed off to Saboba to take part in the Regional Farmers’ Day celebration. I head to the office along with Nina, an EWB volunteer from Zambia who happened to be in Ghana for a conference this week and decided to come along and check things out. We get to the office and hop on the bus along with a few MoFA staff and the farmer award winners from all across the Northern Region.
About three hours later we get to the site in Saboba. There are tents all around to provide shade from the sweltering sun, and a sea of bicycles and other prizes in the centre. Along one side of the site are exhibits showcasing some of the best rice, maize, millet and pepper the region has to offer. Behind the crops stand farmers, proud to display what their hard efforts have produced.
After sometime wandering around the site looking at the exhibits and chatting with farmers it’s time for the ceremonies to begin. The Regional minister along with various other political and state figures arrive to give their speeches. The theme for this year’s national Farmers’ Day was “Ghana @ 50: Progress and Challenges of Sustainable Agricultural Development.” They talk about the aforementioned challenges farmers have faced this year, and encourage farmers and other Ghanaians alike to recognize that farming is not a second rate livelihood. Farming is a respectable and potentially prosperous way to make a living, and people should start thinking about agriculture as a business.
When the speeches come to a close the farmers are called forward to receive their awards. There are awards for the best farmer for each of the main crops (maize, rice, sorghum, soya bean, groundnuts, etc.) as well as the best livestock farmer, the most innovative farmer, and of course the all around regional best farmer. The award winners all get a bicycle and a collection of other farming implements such as cutlasses, hoes, sprayers, and boots.
Shortly after all of the excitement that has been building up over the past couple months comes to an end. As my co-worker Sarah said, “It’s like MoFA Christmas!!” Everyone waits for it all year long working hard in the months leading up to it, the excitement builds and builds, and then before you know it’s all over.
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In Canada we have national holidays to celebrate our independence and war veterans, religious events, and the start of a new year. Here is Ghana they recognize the same reasons for celebration, but on the first friday of December they also take time to celebrate farmers.
Agriculture makes up the livelihood of most people living in northern Ghana and nearly all of those who live in rural areas. It provides jobs to work, food to eat, and money to send children to school. Ghana could not survive if it wasn’t for the farmers who work hard everyday to try and cope with the unpredictable weather year after year.
This year was particularly difficult for farmers in the three Northern Regions. The rains arrived early in May and farmers rushed to prepare their fields and plant their crops. Then in early June just as the seeds were starting to germinate the rains stopped. The drought lasted for over a month with the rains not returning until mid-late July. By then it was too late: all of the crops that had been planted at the start of the growing season had weltered and dried.
Farmers who could afford to buy more seed and replant rushed to do so during the last week of July and first week of August knowing full well that if they didn’t get the seeds in the ground soon it would be too late and the plants wouldn’t have enough time to grow. Those that managed to replant were only able to do a portion of what they had originally planted, and the rest of their fields were left with half-grown withered stalks of maize.
As if the weather hadn’t been difficult enough this farming season when the rains returned they returned without mercy. Rivers rose and crops were drowned or even completely washed away. (I’m sure many of you have read about the floods in the Northern Ghana this September. For those of you who haven’t I have attached a few links below.) When the Volta Rivers receded they left little behind. In all it seems as if the weather this rainy season couldn’t possibly have been any worse.
You may be wondering what is there to celebrate when so many farmers who tried so hard lost everything, but this only amplifies the need to celebrate those farmers who somehow despite all odds managed to have a successful season. There’s a need to recognize model farmers whose motivation and entrepreneurship can provide inspiration and an example to others of what can be achieved in agriculture.
National Farmers’ Day
I wake up at the crack of dawn and eagerly put on my new shirt made of fabric with the MoFA logo plastered all over it. Today is National Farmers’ Day and I’m headed off to Saboba to take part in the Regional Farmers’ Day celebration. I head to the office along with Nina, an EWB volunteer from Zambia who happened to be in Ghana for a conference this week and decided to come along and check things out. We get to the office and hop on the bus along with a few MoFA staff and the farmer award winners from all across the Northern Region.
About three hours later we get to the site in Saboba. There are tents all around to provide shade from the sweltering sun, and a sea of bicycles and other prizes in the centre. Along one side of the site are exhibits showcasing some of the best rice, maize, millet and pepper the region has to offer. Behind the crops stand farmers, proud to display what their hard efforts have produced.
After sometime wandering around the site looking at the exhibits and chatting with farmers it’s time for the ceremonies to begin. The Regional minister along with various other political and state figures arrive to give their speeches. The theme for this year’s national Farmers’ Day was “Ghana @ 50: Progress and Challenges of Sustainable Agricultural Development.” They talk about the aforementioned challenges farmers have faced this year, and encourage farmers and other Ghanaians alike to recognize that farming is not a second rate livelihood. Farming is a respectable and potentially prosperous way to make a living, and people should start thinking about agriculture as a business.
When the speeches come to a close the farmers are called forward to receive their awards. There are awards for the best farmer for each of the main crops (maize, rice, sorghum, soya bean, groundnuts, etc.) as well as the best livestock farmer, the most innovative farmer, and of course the all around regional best farmer. The award winners all get a bicycle and a collection of other farming implements such as cutlasses, hoes, sprayers, and boots.
Shortly after all of the excitement that has been building up over the past couple months comes to an end. As my co-worker Sarah said, “It’s like MoFA Christmas!!” Everyone waits for it all year long working hard in the months leading up to it, the excitement builds and builds, and then before you know it’s all over.
Trevor!
It looks like this event was a lot of fun - and so important in such a difficult year. I am hopelessly jealous of ouy MoFA cloth! I wish I had found some when I was there . . . oh well, next time.
Hope you are doing well - take good care, and see you soon.
Sarah