By Daniel Bampoe
Member of Parliament for Akuapem North Constituency in the Eastern Region, Sammi Awuku, has taken another step towards supporting agricultural development in the constituency, providing farming inputs and protective equipment to more than 200 farmers in the Lower Hill areas.
The intervention, according to the MP, is aimed at helping local farmers improve productivity while reducing some of the challenges confronting them in their daily agricultural activities.
The beneficiaries received fertilizers, rain boots and other farming-related items during a presentation organised in the constituency.
The support forms part of efforts by Sammi Awuku to strengthen the agricultural base of Akuapem North and create conditions that will enable farmers to increase production.
Sammi Awuku, announcing the initiative, described farmers as the backbone of the local economy and stressed that investment in agriculture ultimately translates into development for communities.
“Today, over 200 farmers in the Lower Hill areas of the Akuapem North Constituency received fertilizers, rainbrain boots,gst other items to support their work and boost productivity,” he stated.
He said the intervention was informed by the important role agriculture plays in the economic and social development of communities across Akuapem North.
“We are investing in our farmers because when agriculture grows, our communities grow,” the MP added.
Sammi Awuku also used the occasion to acknowledge the contribution of farmers to food security, expressing gratitude to them for continuing to supply locally produced food to households and communities.
He praised farmers for producing what he described as quality, naturally grown agricultural products and encouraged greater appreciation of their contribution to the local economy.
The intervention comes against the background of Sammi Awuku’s broader constituency development activities since his election as MP for Akuapem North. His constituency engagements have included initiatives targeting youth skills development, education, health, agriculture and support for local economic activities.
Agriculture remains an important economic activity across the Akuapem area, with farmers engaged in the cultivation and production of various food and cash crops.
Supporting farmers with inputs and equipment is therefore seen as an important component of efforts to strengthen livelihoods and improve local food production.
The latest initiative is also linked to Sammi Awuku’s promotion of local agricultural products through his “Ofie Market” concept, which seeks to encourage the consumption and appreciation of locally produced goods.
According to the MP, strengthening agriculture should not only be viewed as an intervention for individual farmers but as an investment in the wider community because farmers’ productivity has direct implications for food availability, household incomes, employment and local commerce.
