The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) has called on policy makers and donor organizations to reprioritize their targets for investment in Agriculture and Agribusiness in Ghana.
Following this year’s International Youth Day dubbed, “transforming food systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”.
According to CAG, the international youth day celebration admonishes for the meaningful participation of young people in achieving sustainable food systems.
A statement signed on Wednesday, August 12, 2021 by Mr. Sylvester Mintah, Director, Youth Policy and Innovation and copied the Awake News said, “The total land size of Ghana is about 23,853,900 hectares agricultural land accounts for 65% (FAO 2016 GHANA Country Data). This figure indicates huge opportunity for the industry in Ghana most especially for young people. More than half (52%) of Ghana’s population is engaged in Agriculture”.
“The Youth Policy and Innovation outfit for CAG is proposing an aggressive impact driven collaboration with policy makers and donor agencies in working together at mitigating some of these factors on short, medium and long term basis”, the statement added.
Reminding policy makers about the major factors affecting young people in Ghana in their quest to harness agribusiness opportunities, CAG cited; “Access to litigation free land especially around water bodies in Ghana, access to finance with reasonable interest rates, lack of interest due to poor branding of Agriculture, lack and cost of technology adoption, climate change coupled with lack and cost of investment in irrigation, well-structured access to market, post-harvest losses for perishable crops and inadequate practical driven agriculture institutions”.
“Our first target is the promotion and making accessible modern technologies for 21st century Agribusiness industry that seeks to attract the youth. These are precision agriculture to predict
rainfall patterns and weather, measure soil productivity, the use of Artificial intelligence, robot use through establishing robotics clubs in senior high schools, drone technology training and assembly, green house technology, remote sensing, technology to assist in producing healthier food, promoting environmentally sensitive practices in Agriculture through technology like the use of hydroponics, the use of data science to guide policy making just to name a few”, the statement said.
However, to boost interest of the youth in Agriculture, CAG recommends that, there should be early exposure to both theory and practical of Agriculture and Agribusiness, rebranding agriculture away from the regrettable notion of a sector reserved for illiterates, a stand-alone ministry for Youth and a parliamentary seat for the constituency of Youth, technical university for Agriculture in selected farming zones in Ghana, developing and leveraging on the enormous opportunities in Agribusiness value chain and use of traditional structures for youth engagements instead of creating abstract ones.
They, “There is no future without sustainable food production system aimed at reducing poverty, hunger and unemployment most especially among the Youth”.
See the full statement below:
PRESS RELEASE:
12TH August, 2021
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY 2021
The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) will like to say ayeeko to young farmers including all agribusiness industry players in Ghana and across Africa. This year’s International Youth Day celebration focuses on transforming food systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”.
The theme for this year’s international youth day celebration admonishes for the meaningful participation of young people in achieving sustainable food systems. The youth of Ghana as part of the global youth movement is poised to ensuring that our country is not left out of the global effort for ensuring future food security through sustainable means.
The total land size of Ghana is about 23,853,900 hectares agricultural land accounts for 65% (FAO 2016 GHANA Country Data). This figure indicates huge opportunity for the industry in Ghana most especially for young people. More than half (52%) of Ghana’s population is engaged in Agriculture. Close to 70% of this farmer population are engaged in subsistence Agriculture still using traditional tools like cutlass and hoe. The average age of a farmer in Ghana is 55 years. Meanwhile life expectancy in Ghana is between 55-65years. This extremely poor youth participation is a bleak outlook for Ghana’s Agriculture future. These statistics clearly resonates well with the theme for this years’ International Youth Day celebration. The chamber of Agribusiness Ghana is by this release calling on policy makers and donor organizations to reprioritize their targets for investment in Agriculture and Agribusiness in Ghana.
CAG, will like to remind policy makers about the major factors affecting young people in Ghana in their quest to harnessing agribusiness opportunities. Among others these includes:
Access to litigation free land especially around water bodies in Ghana, access to finance with reasonable interest rates, lack of interest due to poor branding of Agriculture, lack and cost of technology adoption, climate change coupled with lack and cost of investment in irrigation, well-structured access to market, post-harvest losses for perishable crops and inadequate practical driven agriculture institutions.
The Youth Policy and Innovation outfit for CAG is proposing an aggressive impact driven collaboration with policy makers and donor agencies in working together at mitigating some of these factors on short, medium and long term basis. Our membership continues to grow exponentially across Agribusiness sector in Ghana. Our current focus is to serve as a major mobilizing force for young people in Agribusiness. We however require major investment for training and capacity building for our members to expand their businesses in order employ a lot more youth along the value chain.
Our first target is the promotion and making accessible modern technologies for 21st century Agribusiness industry that seeks to attract the youth. These are precision agriculture to predict
rainfall patterns and weather, measure soil productivity, the use of Artificial intelligence, robot use through establishing robotics clubs in senior high schools, drone technology training and assembly, green house technology, remote sensing, technology to assist in producing healthier
food, promoting environmentally sensitive practices in Agriculture through technology like the use of hydroponics, the use of data science to guide policy making just to name a few.
Finally, our recommendations to boost interest of the youth in Agriculture includes the following:
Regarding the Youth, there should be early exposure to both theory and practical of Agriculture and Agribusiness, rebranding agriculture away from the regrettable notion of a sector reserved for illiterates, a stand-alone ministry for Youth and a parliamentary seat for the constituency of Youth, technical university for Agriculture in selected farming zones in Ghana, developing and leveraging on the enormous opportunities in Agribusiness value chain and use of traditional structures for youth engagements instead of creating abstract ones. For example, old student associations, church youth groups, citizen youth groups and professional youth groups.
There is no future without sustainable food production system aimed at reducing poverty, hunger and unemployment most especially among the Youth. Happy International Youth Day!
END
SYLVESTER K.K MINTAH (0240717024)
DIRECTOR, YOUTH POLICY AND INNOVATION
CHAMBER OF AGRIBUSINESS GHANA
