There are increased calls for the youth to tap into the opportunities available in Ghana’s agricultural sector for economic transformation.
Agriculture experts argue that youth must harness technologies to revolutionize the sector and drive productivity along the agricultural value chain.
The claims were made at a conference organized by the MasterCard Foundation, in partnership with Agri Impact Limited.
With Ghana’s unemployment rate soaring, these experts stressed that the government’s investment in youth creativity could facilitate the creation of decent jobs and sustainable societies.
According to the Ghana Statistics Service (GSS), one in four youth between the ages of 15 and 24 were not in education, employment or training in the third quarter of 2022.
Currently, the advent of entrepreneurship has intensified calls for the youth to seek alternative sources of employment and livelihood, including agriculture.
However, to ensure sustainability, some agronomists and agribusiness experts believe that the agricultural landscape needs to be turned upside down so that the younger generation can create decent jobs.
The event, to mark World Youth Day, was held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Managing Director of Agri-Impact Limited, Daniel Fahene Acquaye, said young entrepreneurs in agriculture have the potential to impact the economy.
“The greatest resources we have as a country are the youth. Investing in their creative minds and innovation will lead to economic transformation. The global millionaires we see today started small and young and we have every reason to believe in their creativity. That is why the future of our country’s transformation is not gold or diamond. The youth also want to contribute to the development of the country. So let’s educate young minds on how they can use technology to increase productivity,” he said.
The theme of the event was: “Revolutionizing agriculture through digital innovations to create jobs for the youth”.
The MasterCard Foundation, in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited, has also introduced the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity (HAPPY) Programme.
The initiative is expected to open employment opportunities for 326,000 youth along the rice, soybean, poultry and tomato value chains in an effort to ensure food security.
AgroKings Chief Farmer Nana Owusu-Achau is convinced of the overwhelming prospects the agriculture space holds for the youth.
“We need Ghanaians who are willing to invest in the country. Every part of agriculture is about youth. We don’t have the luxury of big agriculture that comes with big food stores like developed countries and importation is killing us. This is where the youth come to benefit themselves and our country,” he said.
On her part, KNUST Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, commended Agri-Impact and the Mastercard Foundation for the numerous youth-focused initiatives that both companies have supported.
“Anything focused on youth is remarkable and should be supported. It is through such collaboration that we can fully unlock the potential of our youth to lead the digital transformation of the agricultural sector. KNUST, is an institution that champions science and technology, and our mandate is in line with that idea,” he said.
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