Gov’t cancels regional Farmers’ Day event to cut cost

This year’s 40th National Farmers Day event will see a profound alteration as the government has announced the cancellation of the regional-level celebrations.

The annual event to honour farmers in the country, for their hard work over the years, has been celebrated at the national, regional, and district/municipal levels.

But a letter from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) cited by The High Street Journal to all regional ministers, has directed that all preparations for a regional-level event must be stopped.

This new development is said to be in line with a cost-cutting agenda by the government. As part of an expenditure rationalization agenda, the 40th National Farmers’ Day celebration will be a single, consolidated national event that will be held in the Greater Accra Region on Friday, November 8, 2024.

In place of the regional-level events, regional ministers, the letter directed to nominate winners from their respective regions across ten regional award categories. These honorees will travel to Accra, where they will be celebrated during the Awards Night Ceremony at the Alisa Hotel, North Ridge.

Regional Ministers will be responsible for conferring the awards on their regions’ nominees, ensuring that local farmers’ efforts are acknowledged even without separate regional gatherings.

The government was emphatic that all costs associated with the transportation of the honorees to Accra, including all costs associated with the officials from the region who will travel to Accra, must be borne by the regional coordinating council.

“There will be no regional-level celebration this year,” the letter directed adding that “each region is permitted to nominate winners for ten (10) regional award categories.”

The letter continued that “these awardees are required to travel to Accra on Friday, 8th November 2024, where they will be honored at the Awards Night Ceremony.”

“All expenses related to the participation of regional award winners, including travel, accommodation, and meals should be covered by their respective Regional Coordinating Council,” it was stated.

This streamlined approach is perceived to reflect the government’s dedication to rationalizing expenditures and maintaining fiscal discipline to the IMF’s requirements.