Member of Parliament for Kintampo North in the Brong Ahafo region, Honorable Kwasi-Etu Bonde has sharply disagreed with the popular cliché that agriculture is the backbone of Ghana’s economy.
According to him, the country’s efficiency in this regard falls far below expectations and thus the cliché not holding any significance to the country’s economy.
The MP who expressed the sentiments in an interview with Rite news chided the perception that agriculture is for the poor, the uneducated or the aged in society. He said the negative perception about the sector has driven many away from pursuing it and thus presenting it as unattractive.
Contrary to these perceptions, the law maker says agriculture is more scientific than people think and thus have no business to ascribe it to the poor and illiterate in society.
“People think agric is for the uneducated or the aged which is why they do not want to venture into the sector due to these perceptions,” Hon Kwasi Bonde said. “Agric is however an application of science which includes natural science, managerial and economic science to produce plant and animals for human and industrial consumption which must be done for profit purposes.”
The law maker who observed that the youth are prepared to venture into agriculture urged at least 20% of the youth to go to the field and manage farms for entrepreneurs who are not agriculturists or farmers.
The Honorable Kwasi Etu who proudly disclosed that he has been in the agriculture sector for 20 years before moving into parliament urged agriculturists, agric engineers, agric economists and accountants to come together and form value chain matters.
He further stated that value addition is not supposed to be the work of the farmer because technically, the farmer must produce the primary commodity and also the proper value addition should be left into the hands of the agric engineers and the mechanical engineers who can use machines.
The MP said while everyone is looking up to the farmer to produce, dry, process and market the produce, most farmers do not have these equipment to dry and process them.
He said people must be available to take the foodstuffs from the farmers, pick stones and pebbles from the crops as well as the milling process, etc.
The Agric Sector involves a division of labor including the primary productions and transforming or Agro processing which should be managed by the Agric engineers, he said.
Therefore farmers will be supported to produce raw material and provide market through the Agro processors in the cottage industries.
Some students of the International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences at the University of Ghana, IAAS in an interview with Rite news disclosed that the career fair shall provide job avenues for the Agric Students.
The career fair brought representatives of several companies and other agric farms that can grant the students internship and subsequent job opportunities to interested students.
The event which was facilitated by the GIZ, was in collaboration with the University of Ghana, College of Basics and Applied Sciences, the International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences and the National Farmers And Fishermen Award Winners Association of Ghana.
The purpose of the fair was to redefine the role of students through innovation and entrepreneurship.
Source: Nana Ama Sarfo/amasarfo297@gmail.com/ritefmonline.org
