Today, most youth view agriculture as a ‘dirty’ occupation often practised by older people in retirement or by those in ‘shags’ (rural areas) who have to farm to survive. More so, many schools often use agriculture as a form of punishment for deviant behaviour.
However, Balton CP, a British multinational offering advanced agricultural solutions, is seeking to change the youth mindset towards agribusiness, while empowering them with the technology, knowledge, skills, support and financing to engage in modern agribusiness. The group of companies has been around as a major driving force in the agricultural sectors of many countries throughout Africa for over 25 years. They can be credited with being the first to introduce drip irrigation technology in several African countries in the late 1970s, greatly boosting the sector.
The group’s ‘Farming is Cool’ campaign was launched in Kenya in 2011 by its subsidiary Amiran Kenya and following several years of activity, became its pan-African ‘Farming is Cool Africa’ Initiative. Over the last few years, the campaign has allowed Amiran Kenya and its partners including the government, donors, NGO communities and private sector to place the Amiran Farmers Kit in over 1,000 primary and secondary schools throughout Kenya and in more than 300 youth polytechnics in the country.
AFK is an award winning, modern agribusiness unit anchored on a holistic approach that offers the farmer the tools, training and support required to engage in successful, sustainable agribusiness. This unit has allowed over three million Kenyan children and youth to be exposed and pro-actively engaged in modern agribusiness using the most advanced, cutting edge technologies and methods available in the market today.
Furthermore, what better way to successfully engage the youth than through music? Amiran Kenya saw the opportunity to bring on board local musician Juliani (Julius Owino) launching the ‘Juliani Farming is Cool Concert Tour’, which captured the hearts of thousands of Kenyan youth, bringing the much needed awareness on the vibrancy of agribusiness.
Micro financing institutions have also joined the band wagon realising the massive potential of investing in agribusiness. They have specifically tailored loan facilities for the youth encouraging them to purchase the Amiran Farmers Kit and opening the door to self employment.
The huge success of ‘Farming is Cool’ Initiative in Kenya has seen the spillover effects into Tanzania, garnering support from senior government officials that saw their vice president Mohamed Gharib Bilal attend the launch in March 2014.
While the campaign is still in its initial stages, it hopes to revolutionise youth across Africa. Balton CP is planning to launch a competition in its subsidiaries namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria, offering university students, youth polytechnic students and secondary school students a chance to win a Farmers Kit for their school. Students have been invited to submit ideas for how they plan to make the best use of the kits to empower their school and their communities.
However, they are challenged to show that they have suitable land and water to accommodate the Farmers Kits.
The best proposals will see the winning student groups receive a Farmers Kit worth over Sh300,000 for their learning institution to implement their ideas.
Source: allafrica
