Mr William Dzamefe, Volta Regional Director of Agriculture, said preliminary investigations has shown that over 6,740 farmers were displaced in the region due to the Akosombo Dam spillage. The figure comprises 5,392 males and 1,348 females. He said the spillage most affected out of the 18 districts, North Tongu, Central Tongu, South Tongu, Anloga, Keta and South Dayi while North Dayi and Kpando were minimally affected. Mr Dzamefe, speaking in Ho during the Volta Regional edition of the 39th National Farmers' Day celebration, said over 6000 hectares of cropped fields were affected translating into over 50,000 metric tonnes of various crops. He said 4,700 hectares of rice, 2,500 hectares of cassava, 2,750 hectares of maize, 20 hectares of tomato, 60 hectares of shallot and onion, 260 hectares of okro ad 40 hectares of pepper were affected. Mr Dzamefe said the Regional Department in the short term assisted farmers with planting materials and fertilizers during the next planting window to alleviate the suff ering of farmers. 'In the medium to long term assist farmers who have land they want to relocate to, with land preparation and development.' Mr Dzamefe said the devastation suffered by the farmers because of the spillage called for a comprehensive database of farmers to inform the coordinated efforts towards assisting them. He said the Department would continue to offer the needed technical support to the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) to deliver on the assurances given by many well-wishers to mitigate the suffering of the people. Mr Dzamefe said the region continued to lead in rice production nationwide and all efforts would be implored to maintain such feat. Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, said the region played a pivotal role in the nation's food security drive and Ghana would not turn its back on the region. 'We currently produce over 23 per cent of the local rice stock which has become a major staple in the average Ghanaian diet.' He said the Regional Department of Agr iculture had been tasked to come out with the most pressing needs of farmers and rank them in order of priority in readiness for any intervention by the state to assist farmers. Dr Letsa said although the devastation caused by the spillage in the short term would impact the region's food situation, 'we are quite sure that our next breakthrough is not far from us'. Mr William Agbenyo, Volta Regional Director of Fisheries Commission, said the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development was implementing an Aquaculture for Food and Jobs policy where interested youth would be trained in fish farming at the National Aquaculture Centre at no cost. He noted that all fishing vessels had Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and Automatic Information System (AIS) mounted on them for monitoring against Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing and safety at sea. Mr Agbenyo said artisanal canoes were no longer just crafts navigating the seas but were now part of a comprehensive registration system. He said t here was an ongoing moratorium, a strategic pause lasting for three years; 2023 to 2026, aimed at temporarily restricting the entry of new canoes into the marine artisanal sector. Award winners were Dzuepe Ngoryiyi Women Processing Group, Best Regional Processing Group, Mr Johnson Joseph Kwame, Best Regional Physically Challenged Farmer, Mr Oxford Korsi Agboli, Best Regional Youth Farmer, Madam Perfect Bekui Peace, Best Regional Female Farmer and Mr Tsakpo Raphael Hecares, Best Regional Agricultural Worker. Others include Fish and Feeds Limited, Best Regional Fisher, Mr Ahmed Zumari, Best Regional Livestock Farmer, Mr Agboada Joseph, Best Regional Crop Farmer, Madam Amegadzi D. Abla, Best Regional Most Enterprising Female Cocoa Farmer, Mr Solomon Ntumi Amedza, Best Regional Most Enterprising Young Cocoa farmer and Mr Elevu George, Best Regional Cocoa Farmer. The 2023 Volta Regional Best Farmer award went to Mr Mawuwoe Xesumali from Atsiaklorbor in the Ketu South Municipality. Some prizes awarded were tric ycles, assorted agro chemicals, certificates, cutlasses, bags of fertilisers, knapsack sprayers and wheel barrows. The event was on the theme: 'Delivering smart solutions for sustainable food security and resilience.' Source: Ghana News Agency