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A 47-year-old woman, Mrs Rebecca Kugbadzi, from Okushibi, near Katamanso, was on Friday crowned the overall Best Farmer in the Tema Metropolis. Mrs Kugbadzi who is into livestock and crop farming, won the best pepper and watermelon farmer awards in 1999 and 2003 respectively. She was the proud recipient of a 24-inch colour television, a fridge, three bags of fertiliser, wheel barrow, half piece of cloth, spraying machine, bicycle, and other farm inputs. Each of the other 18 winners from different farming communities, took home wheelbarrow, bicycle, cutlass, three bags of fertiliser, Wellington boots, spraying machine and other farm inputs. Mrs Kugbadzi entreated women who are into farming, to be serious with whatever training they have acquired from Agricultural Extension Officers. Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, Metropolitan Chief Executive said government had set in motion effective agricultural interventions, to ease the burden of farmers, in order to increase productivity to promote food security. Mr. Felix Mishiame, Metropolitan Director of Food and Agriculture, expressed concern about the lack of effective preservation and packaging methods in the metropolis. This challenge, Mr Mishiame said, could be addressed if farmers adopted modern farming techniques and practices. Some of the award farmers expressed their appreciation to government for recognising their efforts, but appealed for more technical assistance to make farming attractive.