A participant under training in poultry production at GINAACO in Dormaa Ahenkro
MORE GHANAIAN youth are being provided job opportunities in the agricultural sector to better their lives and reduce the unemployment rate in the country through the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) programme.
The programme with a focus on four agricultural value chain areas; rice, soya beans, tomatoes, and poultry was initiated by the Mastercard Foundation in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited.
The four-year programme is expected to create 326,000 job opportunities for young men and women within four years of its implementation and has so far created over 94, 000 jobs in the four value chain areas.
Addressing participants on the first day of the workshop, Gottfried Odamtten- Sowah who spoke on behalf of the country director of the Mastercard Foundation, maintained that agriculture holds the key to unlocking the potential for employment for the youth in Africa.
She revealed that the project intends to build capacity, give skills training, and provide a market to all persons urging participants to be innovative by using creativity to become job creators and not job seekers.
The Chief Executive Officer of Agri-impact, Daniel Acquaye, said the programme apart from creating job opportunities for youth is also to increase food production by 180,000 tonnes to boost production in the four value chain areas by 20% every year.
He further noted that the consortium is working with district assemblies to sensitize the youth especially those who have a passion to join the programme saying, “The market is assured because the programme created linkages with partners who are ready to absorb their produce.”
Mr. Samuel Kwame Ntim Adu who is the CEO of Yedent Agro Group of companies and anchor partner for the HAPPY programme advised the youth to take the opportunity offered by MasterCard Foundation and Agri-Impact seriously to learn and go into production to better their future.
FROM Daniel Y. Dayee, Sunyani/Dormaa Ahenkro