The perceptions of young people about agriculture and its value chain in Ghana are gradually changing. With successive governments raising awareness and creating opportunities, the mentality that agribusiness is a job for illiterates and the elderly is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.
Other institutions, foundations, and important industry actors have also initiated a number of programmes and activities to complement the government’s initiative of attracting the young ones into agriculture.
To add to these, the John A. Kufuor Foundation, established by former President John Agyekum Kufuor, has joined its voice. Among the long list of youth intervention programmes the foundation has initiated to empower the youth in the country, the Youth in Agribusiness Festival is the recent addition This intervention/ initiative aims to encourage the youth to engage extensively in agriculture.
The maiden edition of the festival, which seeks to showcase the outstanding development of young people within the agribusiness sector in the country, is set to happen at the Jubilee Park and Prempeh Assembly Hall, both in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
The three-day festival, with the theme: “Youth in Agribusiness in Ghana: the story so far and the way forward,” will feature young agribusiness entrepreneurs and also give platforms for young people in agribusiness to discuss their achievements and showcase their products and services to Ghanaians and the world.
The initiative, which has a 13-member planning committee, will give entrepreneurs, especially agribusiness actors the platform to showcase their experiences and services in the industry.
Young people between the ages of 18 and 35 years who are involved in farming and other value addition chains such as technology service provision, agri-input dealing, agri-advisory and financial service, processing/value addition, packaging, branding, digital/online marketing, distribution, agri-tourism, among others will be extensively engaged for learning and networking purposes.
In all, the festival will seek to motivate more youth to get involved in agriculture and its related activities as a commercial business venture. It also aims to create networking opportunities and business linkages among youthful agriculture-related entrepreneurs and customers, agribusiness leaders, and investors, among others.
Jeffrey Agyemang Duah who was the Convener of the Youth in Agribusiness Festival explained that the activity formed part of the objectives of the Kufuor Young Entrepreneurs Network (K-YEN) programme implemented by the foundation.
When describing the festival to the Daily Graphic, he [Mr. Duah]explained that the K-YEN program was a three-year mentorship and entrepreneurial leadership support package that aimed to increase the capacity of young entrepreneurs and make it easier for them to access funding sources including grants and loans.
“It is envisaged that by bringing together major stakeholders and young agribusiness practitioners on one platform to share their experience, lessons learned, network and forge strategic partnership along the agribusiness space,” Mr. Duah explained.
He added that the festival is solely focused on encouraging the youth but also encouraging the agribusiness companies, private investors, and financial institutions to invest in the youth who would be passionate about agribusiness.
Mr. Duah finally indicated that it will be open to the general public, especially the youth to access information agribusiness.”
