ACCRA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Ghana has marked the 41st National Farmers' Day to honor hardworking farmers for their continuous contributions to the country's economy.
Addressing the national celebration in Ho, the capital of the Volta Region, on Friday, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama pledged that his government would work hard to ensure affordable agriculture credit for farmers.
Mahama noted that the prevailing interest rates on credit available to farmers make it prohibitive and do not encourage farmers to go for it.
"The burden placed on farmers by commercial bank interest rates means farmers are ultimately only working for the banks, which hinders national efforts to strengthen food security and expand agricultural production," the president added.
He said affordable credit remains crucial to transforming agriculture into a self-sustaining engine of economic development.
"Credit for the agriculture must be at a single-digit interest rate. So, this government is going to work hard to ensure that interest rates are below 10 percent to grant easy access to cheaper credit for farmers so they can produce more to feed the country," Mahama pledged.
Abraham Kwaku Adusei, an 82-year-old farmer, emerged as the Overall National Best Farmer for 2025 and was awarded 1.2 million Ghana cedis (about 105,000 U.S. dollars) in cash, along with agricultural equipment and supplies.
Ghana's National Farmers' Day, established in 1985, is celebrated on the first Friday of December each year to honor farmers and fishermen for their contributions to national food security and economic development. ■