PRIZE DAYS: “We were so poor” — Adjei-Maafo Reveals What the First Farmers’ Day Winner Actually Received

A radio, a pair of boots, cutlasses, tuna and rice — that was the prize package for some of Ghana’s earliest Farmers’ Day winners.

In contrast, the overall winner of the 2025 National Farmers’ Day awards received a package valued at GH¢1.2 million, highlighting how significantly the celebration and its rewards have changed over the years.

Long before Farmers’ Day became the grand national event Ghanaians know today, organisers had to rely on whatever support they could gather.

PNDC Secretary (Minister) for Agriculture, Dr Isaac Kofi Adjei-Maafo, who says he was behind the creation of Farmers’ Day, has revealed how modest the first prizes were and why they still meant so much to the farmers who received them.

Speaking to Kafui Dey, Dr Adjei-Maafo recalled the first prizes presented to farmers.

“There were no cars,” he said, explaining that the organisers had to work with the limited resources available at the time.

“We were so poor,” he recalled.

According to Dr Adjei-Maafo, the modest prizes reflected the country’s economic circumstances and the practical way in which the celebration was organised.

The organizers had to rely on support from organisations and individuals to put together what they could offer farmers.

“We went round to organisations and individuals to get things,” he said.

Dr Adjei-Maafo explained that the items were mobilized from various stakeholders who were willing to support the initiative.

“We got a radio, we got boots, we got cutlasses, we got tuna and we got rice,” he recalled.

What might appear almost unbelievable today was, at the time, a genuine effort to give farmers something tangible in recognition of their work.

The modern prize package reflects not only the growth of Farmers’ Day, but also the increased scale of national recognition for Ghana’s agricultural producers.

The prizes may have been simple in the early years, but their significance went beyond their monetary value.

For farmers who had rarely received formal national recognition, being publicly celebrated and rewarded was itself a major statement.

Dr Adjei-Maafo said the focus was not necessarily on the cost of the items, but on the message the celebration sent to farmers.

“It was to show appreciation to the farmer,” he explained.

The initiative was intended to recognize the contribution of farmers to the country’s development at a time when agriculture remained central to Ghana’s economy.

Over the years, Farmers’ Day would evolve into a much bigger national event, with more substantial prizes and nationwide celebrations.

The journey from radios, boots, cutlasses, tuna and rice to a GH¢1.2 million package for the 2025 winner captures the remarkable transformation of the awards.

But Dr Adjei-Maafo’s memory of those early days offers a glimpse into the humble beginnings of a tradition that has now lasted decades.

“Those were the things we could get at that time,” he said.