The National Coordinator for Youths in Agriculture and Aquaculture Programme (YIAAP) has expressed regret at the aging farmer population on the African continent.
According to Mr. Klutse Kumodor, Ghana and Africa has an aging farmer population with the average farmer age pegged at 65years. The situation he feared could result in “nobody venturing into the sector” if immediate steps are not taken to reverse the trend.
The National Coordinator for Youths in Agriculture and Aquaculture Programme (YIAAP) made the observation during the presidential dinner and networking with the former president, Jerry John Rawlings.
The AG-STUD Boot Camp 2018 was a three day program organized by the Agrihouse Foundation which focused on the development of youth and student leadership and discuss the challenges and opportunities in the corporate world of agribusiness and its value chain system.
Mr. Klutse who also expressed regret at the almost negligible rate of employment of graduates in the country disclosed that only about 2% of the 250,000 youths who graduate from the various tertiary institutions in the country are employed in the formal sector.
The situation, he argued suggested that a huge number of the country’s youths remain unemployed.
Mr. Kumodor lauded Agrihouse Foundation for organizing the AG-STUD Boot Camp for youths, women, and students since it has food security concerns.
He was convinced that the agriculture sector can only draw more youth into the area if its financial impacts are evident.
“Agriculture must make a lot of business to make the pockets of the youth full since nobody wants to venture into the sector,” he stated.
He also urged the students to draw business plans for all their future projects they intend to undertake, which he added requires a lot of skills.
AG-STUD BootCamp was a three day program organized by Agrihouse Foundation with daily activity highlights that sought to develop youth and students leadership, discuss the challenges and opportunities in the corporate world of agribusiness and its value chain system.
The program weaves a never ending link between employers and potential employees and agribusiness students within the tertiary institutions.
The three day Boot Camp was climaxed with a presidential dinner and networking with the former president on Friday.
Agrihouse Foundation is a non-governmental agricultural capacity building organization with a special focus on the promotion of, and changing perception of agriculture through tactical programs and initiatives for students, women, farmers, farming associations, agribusinesses and the entire actors within the value chain.
Source: Joyce Bedeley/ritefmonline.org/jbedeley9357@gmail.com
