82-Year-Old Opanyin Adusei Named 2025 Overall Best National Farmer
Accra, Ghana- Opanyin Abraham Kwaku Adusei, an 82-year-old farmer from the Eastern Region, has been named the 2025 Overall Best National Farmer at the 41st National Farmers’ Day Awards held in Ho, the Volta Regional capital.
The veteran farmer was honoured for his decades of dedication, innovation, and enduring contribution to Ghana’s agricultural development.
Adusei received a ₵1.2 million cash prize from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), a brand-new tractor from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, a gold medal, a citation, and various farm inputs in recognition of his outstanding achievements.
President John Dramani Mahama, who presented the awards, praised Adusei and other honourees for their resilience and central role in sustaining Ghana’s food systems. “Our farmers and fishers remain the backbone of our economy,” President Mahama said. “They feed the nation, sustain families, and drive our development.”
Adusei, who previously won the Eastern Regional Best Farmer Award in 2009, dedicated his national honour to all Ghanaian farmers working tirelessly to feed the nation. “This award belongs to every farmer who wakes before dawn, works through the heat, and still finds joy in the harvest,” he said.
In his acceptance remarks, Adusei appealed to government to prioritise irrigation development, emphasising that reliable water access remains vital for agricultural expansion.
He highlighted the potential of areas such as the Afram Plains to become major food production zones if irrigation infrastructure is improved. “Without water, our work becomes uncertain,” he said. “Irrigation is the key to consistent production and to making agriculture attractive for young people.”
Adusei also commended ongoing government programmes under the Feed Ghana initiative, and praised President Mahama’s pledge to improve road networks and construct a bridge over the Afram River projects he said would transform rural economies and strengthen national food security.
The first runner-up award went to Osman Kadiri from the Greater Accra Region, while Charles Gyato from the Oti Region was named second runner-up. Grace Owusuaah earned the title of 2025 National Best Female Farmer, recognised for her commitment to innovation and mentorship of young women in agribusiness.
This year’s celebration once again underscored the vital role of agriculture as the backbone of Ghana’s economy. The event, held annually on the first Friday of December, honours the nation’s farmers and fishers for their contribution to food security, employment, and rural development.
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