The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr.Simon Osei Mensah says it is time for African leaders, stakeholders in Agriculture and Governments across the Continent to be the lead agent in mentoring and empowering the youth to take up farming for the next generation.
Speaking at the re-launch of National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association of Ghana in Kumasi on 30th October, 2018, he proposed the need for Governments and stakeholders in Agric to resource and re -position the current generation to take up farming for the next decades.
He further argued that, the current crop of farmers are at their peak, and we need equal replacement to assume their role to feed Ghana and the world at large.
He said, it is incumbent upon us to devise a strategy that would lure many youth into the Agric sector.
“A stitch in time, saves nine” and we, as leaders, should not sit aloof for things to get out of hand before we initiate the process from somewhere, else, we should start lacing our boots to face the consequences” he stated.
He appeal to the farmers not to see, farming as challenging adventure, but a potential portfolio that stand to make living worthwhile.
The minister used the occasion to appeal to the teaming youth in the country to venture into active farming and move away from hawking and streetism, since the Government is putting in mechanism to make the sector more attractive to investors.
We understand, land acquisition remains a major en-bloc to the sector, but let me assure you that the government is currently in talks with the traditional authorities to secure more lands for farming purposes.
Advancing his case before hundreds of award winners at the just ended re-launching, entreated the awardees to lead the crusade in mentoring and nurturing the very few who have expressed the greatest interest to take up farming as their profession.
The very foundation of every buoyant economy is its Agricultural sector, and to me, we must act swiftly in saving the sector going forward, since the picture looks bleak for the country, at a time its active farmers are aging and fading off on daily basis.
