Mahama suggests ways to attract more young people into agribusiness

Former President John Dramani Mahama has put forward for consideration ways to attract more young people into agriculture.

In his message to mark the Farmers’ Day celebration on Friday, December 3, he called on stakeholders to diversify by delving into agro-processing and agri-business as ways of ensuring value addition and wealth creation for all persons in the agriculture value chain.

This wealth, he said, must particularly benefit farmers and fishers, and also the country at large.

“This way, we can get more young people into agriculture to employ more of Ghana’s youth and increase our food stock,” he said.

Below is his full message.

Heartiest congratulations to our farmers and fishers on the occasion of this year’s National Farmers Day. You remain our heroines and heroes.

Through your effort, Agriculture continues to be the mainstay of our economy, employing most of our nation’s working population and being a leading contributor to GDP.

Not only do you provide our nation’s food and nutrition needs, you also wield the potential to eradicate hunger and poverty and lead our country toward rapid industrialization and shared prosperity through agribusiness.

As we commemorate this important day, we must diversify by delving into agro-processing and agri-business as ways of ensuring value addition and wealth creation for all persons in the agriculture value chain.

This wealth must particularly benefit our farmers and fishers, and also the country.

This way, we can get more young people into agriculture to employ more of Ghana’s youth and increase our food stock.

We will also earn foreign exchange through exports and, ultimately increase the income levels of our hardworking farmers and fishers.

Our world is fast changing, and we must find new ways of doing business, if we are to survive.

I believe once government averts its mind to the opportunities and comparative advantage we have as a country, we can achieve the goal of prosperity for our country and its people.

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