The Volta Youth in Agriculture has congratulated the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, on his dedicated leadership and efforts to advance agricultural production.
The youth group, however, appealed for markets for young cassava farmers in the region.
Madam Joy Fiamawle, the Public Relations Officer of the group, in an interview, commended the Minister for his commitment to make agriculture more productive, resilient and attractive to the youth in general.
“The Minister’s emphasis on increasing food production, supporting farmers, promoting agricultural value chains and building the capacity of young people to take part meaningfully in the sector is an important step towards a stronger and more sustainable agricultural economy,” she said.
Madam Fiamawle described agriculture as more than an economic activity, and called it a powerful vehicle for job creation, youth empowerment, food security, poverty reduction and national development.
She explained that the group appreciated initiatives and policies that placed farmers and young agricultural entrepreneurs at the centre of Ghana’s development agenda.
She said: As a group, we also welcome the Minister’s efforts to improve access to agricultural inputs, irrigation, mechanisation, markets, technology, and other resources needed to raise productivity.
“We believe that, with the right support, young people can become the next generation of commercial farmers, agribusiness owners, processors, exporters and agricultural innovators.”
She encouraged the Ministry to keep prioritising youth-led agriculture, particularly in regions such as the Volta, which the group said has significant potential for crop production, livestock, aquaculture, agro-processing, and agribusiness.
According to the group, a deliberate national programme that gives young farmers access to land, affordable financing, irrigation, improved seeds, mechanisation, extension services, storage and processing facilities, and guaranteed markets would significantly accelerate the transformation of the sector.
The group further suggested that stronger links between farmers and institutional buyers, including schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and food processors, could create sustainable markets for locally produced commodities.
The group raised a specific concern about young cassava producers, adding that “many are becoming discouraged because they cannot find buyers for what they grow. We demand initiatives to secure markets for them.”
The Volta Youth in Agriculture assured the Minister of its willingness to work with the government and other stakeholders to promote agriculture among the youth, and pledged to continue to champion the message that agriculture is a business, a source of employment, and a pathway to prosperity.
The group said it was confident that with sustained leadership, collaboration and investment, the country could reduce its dependence on imported food, increase domestic production and build a competitive agricultural sector that could feed the nation and create wealth.
They said that the future of agriculture in the country would be brighter and that the youth must be at its heart.
Source:https://www.myjoyonline.com
