Highlife legend, Abrantie Amakye Dede has spoken exclusively to Adom 106.3 FM about the second edition of the Agogo Golden Plantain Festival which is slated for November 11, 2021.
The festival, he said, was established by the Agogo Traditional Council to celebrate the illustrious plantain farmers in the Asante Akyem Agogo in the Ashanti region.
Plantain, according to Amakye Dede is the “gold of Agogo” hence his dedication to market the festival to make it an international brand.
Speaking the station’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Thursday, the highlife legend who is also the ‘Okyeredomhene’ [crowd-puller] of Agogo said he was using his influence to market the festival.
For nearly six decades, Amakye Dede whose stool name is Barima Okyeredom Amakye Dede I said plantain farming has been the mainstay of the people of Agogo, providing employment for the teeming youth after the fortunes of cocoa dwindled.
Through their efforts, he said plantain produced in Agogo has become an exportable item to neighbouring Burkina Faso, Benin, La Cote D’Ivoire, Togo and Mali.
Amakye Dede is certain the people of Agogo can further explore exportation of plantains to other countries when given the needed support from the government.
It is based on this that the Agogo Traditional Council, he said is collaborating with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for this year’s festival.
The Minister for Agric, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto is the special guest of honour and he is expected to outline initiatives by the government to improve the planting and marketing of plantain and other food crops in the area.
Aside from the support from the Agric Ministry, Amakye Dede appealed to the Ministry of Tourism to also take special interest in the Golden Plantain Festival.
Play attached audio for more.