“I accept this high honor in humility and dedicate it first to the people of Ghana, who gave me the opportunity to serve them as President for eight years during which we chalked the successes that today have been acknowledged world-wide,” he said.

This was contained in a statement signed by Mr Frank Agyekum, Spokesperson of the Office of the former President and released in Accra on Friday.

President Kufuor who was a joint winner of the 2011 prize with former Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, was presented with a replica bronze carving representing “a seed in the earth” by Mr John Ruan III, Chairman of the World Food Prize (WFP) and Dr M. S. Swaminathan, Chairman of the Council of Advisers.

The award which is organized by the World Food Program (WFP) and instituted in honor of philanthropist John Ruan and Dr Norman Borlaug whose pioneering work to produce higher yielding grains, ushered in the “Green Revolution” which transformed modern agriculture and won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

A prize of 0,000.00 is to be shared by the two leaders who are the first heads of state to win the award in its 25th year.

Former President Kufuor recounted the successes achieved during his tenure in agriculture, culminating in the doubling of cocoa output from 340,000 tons to more than 700,000 tons, saying it was as a result of the hard work of the team he worked with it and the determination of Ghanaians to forge ahead.

He will deliver his Laureate Speech at a special luncheon on Friday after former President da Silva had delivered his at a breakfast meeting.

Mr Ken Quinn, President of WFP, commended the laureates and said their example shows that with proper political direction, nations could improve the living standards of their people.

A government delegation led by Mr Kwesi Ahwoi and Mr Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Ghana's Ambassador in the United States, were in attendance as well as Mr Terry Brandstad, Governor of Iowa.

Other dignitaries present were former Presidents Olusegun Obassanjo of Nigeria, Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, Sir Dawda Jawara of the Gambia and Mizengo Pinda, Prime Minister of Tanzania.

The ceremony which was telecast live on Iowa State television, saw performances by the Tokyo String Quartet, the Jive for Five, Iowa Youth Chorus, Simon Estes, and a Ghanaian cultural group from Ohio.

GNA