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Mr Kwabena Mahmudu Owusu Aduomi, a-62-year-old farmer at New Konkrompe in the Atebubu/Amantin District, was adjudged the overall best farmer in the Brong-Ahafo Region. He received a corn mill machine, tricycle, mist blower, table top refrigerator, spraying machine, cutlasses and a bag of fertiliser as his prize. Mr Aduomi has 65 acres of mango plantation, 35 acres of rice, large acres of varieties of vegetables, cassava processor, 20 cattle, a number of sheep, goats, guinea fowl fish ponds and free range poultry. Other 28 farmers in various crop categories were also honoured at the Regional celebration of the 29th farmer�s day at Abesim, which coincided with the Sunyani Municipal celebration. They received items ranging from refrigerators, motor bikes, spraying machines, pieces of cloth, cutlasses, radio cassette players, key bar soaps and Wellington boots. Opanin Yaw Osei, 33, was adjudged the Sunyani Municipal Best Farmer and received a motorbike, radio cassette player, fertiliser, spraying machine, four cutlasses, Wellington boots and a piece of cloth. In all, 25 gallant farmers were honoured at the municipal level. Addressing them, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Regional Minister, said high agriculture growth could only be materialise through modernisation and diversification, driven by public and private investment in the agriculture sector. He said government is seriously pursuing ways to stem post harvest losses through public-private partnership in agro-business. He said Nestle Ghana in collaboration with the Northern Rural Growth Programme had trained more than 150 of Ministry of Food and Agriculture staff, transporters, processors, aggregators and producers in Tain Pru, Kintampo North, Kintampo South and Sene Districts. Mr Aidoo said they were trained in grain quality improvement to reverse the incidence of mycotoxins in cereals and the provision of regular market information to improve distribution of food staff. Mr Aidoo said the overall objective of the training was to significantly increase the scale of productivity, enhance food security and create employment opportunities. Mr Kwasi Oppong-Ababio, Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive noted that because of lack of storage facilities, perishable crops always got wasted during bumper harvest. He said this was why the municipal assembly intended to construct satellite markets in the various communities. Dr Cyril T. Quist, Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, commended the farmers for their hard work but noted that post harvest losses remain a great challenge in the area. He said though a number of interventions including training on improved farming had been put in place to reduce post harvest losses in the region, the situation continue to worsen. Dr Quist called on farmers to strictly adhere to advice from agric extension officers to improve on their farming activities. He said with the onset of the harmattan, farmers ought to be wary in the way they handle naked fire to guard against bush burning.