I am still waiting for my award; 2016 best farmer to gov’t

The 2016 National Best Farmer says he is still waiting for his fully furnished three-bedroom house as his award promised by the government last year.

Robert Crentsil, 42 from Ajumako Enyan-Essiam district in the Central Region, said he is disappointed in the government for defaulting its promise made to him last year for a fully furnished three-bedroom house to be constructed for him in any part of the country of his choice as his award for emerging National Best Farmer 2016.

 Mr. Crentsil was adjudged the best farmer last year with 120 acres of cocoa farm, 80 acres of rubber, 60 acres of plantain, 60 acres of cowpea, 30 acres of cassava, 7 acres of oil palm, 6 acres of coconut, 15 acres of citrus farms among others. “I have not received the award yet but I am supposed to do the handing over tomorrow,” he revealed to Onua News ahead of Friday’s Farmer’s Day in Kumasi dubbed ‘Farming for Food and Jobs’.

He said efforts to get the executive board of Agric Development Bank (ADB) who were the main sponsors of the programme has proven futile. “I am done with all the necessary documents to get a house from an estate developer located in Kasoa but the ADB has refused to process the documents for me to be given the house”.

Feeling disappointed, the 2016 national best farmer has suggested to the government to present money to subsequent winners instead of promising them houses to avoid discomfort, hassle, and embarrassment they go through when pressing for the awards.

Meanwhile, Robert Crentsil has appealed to the government to bring the interest rate down specifically for farmers and assist them with modern farming inputs, which he said will go a long way for government’s Planting for Food and Jobs policy to achieve its target.

 

primenewsghana.com/Ghana News