Emmanuel Sinyet Asigri
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Emmanuel Sinyet Asigri, has challenged the youth in the country to explore their immediate environments for opportunities in the agricultural sector and take advantage of these opportunities to enhance their socio-economic wellbeing.
Asigri made the call in a statement to congratulate Ghanaian farmers on their immense contributions towards feeding the nation and ensuring food sustainability and security, as part of activities to mark this year’s National Farmers’ Day which falls on December 7.
With a reported 8.4% increase in agricultural production in 2017, the NYA boss commended the hard-working farmers in the country. He, however, lamented the lack of interest on the part of the youth in pursuing agricultural ventures as a viable employment option.
He therefore tasked the youth to leverage on government’s flagship programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs (PFFJs), Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) and the yet-to-be launched Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFFJs) as initiatives worth pursuing, with the potential to transform their social and economic status.
He further commended the Akufo-Addo government for recognizing agriculture as the backbone of the nation’s economy and thereby supporting the sector with such inputs and facilities as the supply of improved and certified seeds, provision of agriculture extension services, subsidized fertilizers, reduction of post-harvest losses through the construction of warehouses for storage, and making available marketing opportunities for farm produce.
“For our part, the authority is mobilizing the youth to establish ‘Youth Livelihood Farms’ – a 120-acre maize farm is under cultivation on a pilot basis in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The project is expected to be replicated in the remaining nine (9) regions of the country beginning from January of 2019,” he added.