The 2020 National Best Farmer has expressed disappointment in how some public servants and companies treat farmers in the country.
Mr. Solomon Kojo Kusi said police, banks, and other public sector professionals have always been treating farmers with scorn and this demotivates them.
The Best Farmer made the observation in an interview on Onua TV’s Maakye hosted by Adwoa Konadu-Yiadom and Ohemeaa Acheampomaa on Monday, March 22.
“The respect for farmers is not there and this discourages farmers. People see farming as punishment,” he explained.
Mr. Kusi said, “police even speak to us harshly at checkpoints just because we are farmers. They don’t respect us”.
Recounting his experience with police checkpoints on the Takoradi-Cape Coast Highway, the Best Farmer said “just because [the police] saw a farmers tag in my car, they treated me and my driver with disrespect”.
“If a farmer is entering a bank, the way they look at him, with a certain eye, is sad,” he bemoaned.
“We didn’t respect farmers but we have everything in Ghana. We have fertile land but God has cursed Ghana and until we change our habits, we can’t be successful. We need to change our attitude towards farmers in Ghana.”
Mr. Kusi praised former late President Jerry John Rawlings and President Nana Akufo-Addo for their efforts in ensuring that farmers and farming issues are addressed.
“If there are Presidents I will praise, it will be late JJ Rawlings and Akufo-Addo. If there is anything on farming, the President acts swiftly to resolve it.”
