The Chief of the Pelungu Traditional Area in the Nabdam District, Naab Serig Sore Sobil IV, has been crowned the Overall Best Farmer in the Upper East Region at the 2025 Regional Farmers’ Day celebration. The colourful ceremony was held at the Bolgatanga Senior High School in the Talensi District and brought together farmers, traditional leaders, government officials, and development partners.
The 61-year-old traditional leader distinguished himself with an extensive agricultural enterprise that employs 20 permanent workers and 60 casual labourers. His farm spans several crop varieties, including 500 acres of maize, 150 acres of millet, 55 acres of sorghum, 50 acres of rice, 40 acres of soybean, 20 acres of groundnut, and 10 acres of cowpea.
In livestock production, Naab Sobil IV manages an impressive stock of 380 cattle, 150 sheep, 350 goats, 135 pigs, 820 guinea fowls, and 497 fowls, making him one of the most diversified farmers in the region.
For emerging as the Overall Best Farmer, he received a tricycle, two cutlasses, a pair of Wellington boots, a knapsack sprayer, 14 bags of NPK fertilizer, and a standing fan.
In his acceptance speech, the chief expressed profound gratitude to the Regional Minister, the National Democratic Congress government, and President John Dramani Mahama for honouring farmers across the country.
“I am very proud to be associated with this year’s 41st National Farmers’ Day,” he said. “I started farming at a young age, and today my hard-working effort has been acknowledged.”
Naab Sobil IV, however, used the platform to appeal to the government to address the challenges confronting farmers, especially the lack of market for produce and the imbalance between farm-gate prices and consumer prices.
“It is not easy that you have your farm inputs lying there and you cannot get a market for them,” he lamented. “A bag of maize may sell at GH₵300 or GH₵400, yet one ball of kenkey goes for GH₵5 or GH₵7. How many balls of kenkey can a bag of maize produce? We, the farmers, are suffering.”
The chief stressed that food security initiatives such as Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future can only succeed if farmers receive the needed government support.
“I want to appeal to the government to take a good look at this so that we can also help. There is nobody who doesn’t eat food, and all of it comes from the effort of a farmer,” he added.
Naab Serig Sore Sobil IV thanked his colleague farmers, the Regional Minister, and members of the media, and urged farmers to continue advocating for better conditions and recognition.
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