The myriad of challenges in the agric sector does not make agriculture or agribusiness a lucrative venture for many young people
According to the National Youth Policy of Ghana and the Africa Youth Charter, youthful persons are aged between 18 to 35 years. However, most people in this age bracket are unemployed.
Youth unemployment has become the biggest developmental challenge in almost every country in the world.
A research conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that 60 million young people worldwide are unemployed, and are searching for work but cannot find any. 80 per cent of the youth are said to be living in developing countries and economies in transition.
In all developing countries across the world, youth unemployment is growing annually at more than 15 per cent.
Most of our present day educational systems produce job-seekers only but not job-creators and income generators. Many young people today would rather complete school and go round with their application letters seeking for jobs rather than being innovative and defying the odds to create their own businesses.
However for those who are able to come up with their own business ideas, farming or agriculture is not an alternative.
They would prefer to start a business venture in other fields.
Agriculture, one of Ghana?s important economic sector, has for several years created employment for more than half the population in both the formal and informal sectors. Agriculture accounts for about 40 per cent of the country?s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employing 60-70 per cent of the labour force and generating more than 55 per cent of the foreign exchange earnings.
The agric sector is made up of five major sub-sectors ? food crops, livestock, fisheries, cocoa and forestry.
However challenges facing the agricultural sector are primarily access to credit, poor infrastructure including lack of irrigation development, insufficient and inadequate storage facilities, high transport cost, land acquisition and land tenure issues and social and environmental problems.
These problems have affected the agric sector for several decades, despite the important role it plays in the economy. An emerging component, which is gradually changing the face of agriculture in the country, is agribusiness.
Agribusiness?involves the production, processing and supply of agricultural goods. It is however still rudimentary in Ghana with little growth or development over the last three decades.
The rise of?agribusiness?began in the 20th century when citizens of countries in the developed world began?flocking?to their cities, leaving a shrinking population of farmers who struggled to meet the demand for food.
Over time,?agribusiness?companies were established and they utilized their size and business experience to create a highly efficient system of farming and transporting agricultural goods.
It is difficult to analyze the performance of the agribusiness sector among Ghanaian entrepreneurs due to the lack of comprehensive data on agribusiness enterprises and their activities in Ghana.
Many entrepreneurs in Ghana shy away from agribusiness and for that matter agriculture because of some of its disadvantages like over dependence on rain and access to modern farm implements.
These challenges do not make agriculture or agribusiness attractive for many young people.
However, 29-year-old Michael Adjokatse has ventured into the sector.
Adjokatse, who was a textile student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology graduated in 2007, and has been farming since then.
He said he decided to go into farming because he could not secure a job after graduating from school.
Michael wanted to create employment for others.
Adjokatse said, ?Initially it was very difficult to get capital to start working on the farm since I had just graduated from school. But through the help of a very close friends and through my personal savings, I was able to raise about GH? 500.
Even though the amount wasn?t adequate, coupled with the fact that I did not have a large farming area to work with, I was able to start with some few crops. Now I grow maize, okro, pepper and cabbage farms, alongside the rearing of pigs, fowls, cow and guinea fowl.?
He stated that agriculture has helped him stay committed to whatever he puts himself to, adding, ?I?m always on the farm and I give it my total attention.?
?I projected to get about GH? 4,000 from my cabbage farm about a year ago, but ended up with just about GH? 500 due to unforeseen circumstances. But one lesson I learnt was not to do things in a rush, but rather stay focus and be patient.?
His most pressing future plan is to set up an agric service centre where modern farming equipment will be made available to assist other farmers.
He believes that agriculture could be a very lucrative venture if its business concept is properly understood.
?Young entrepreneurs shouldn?t be too cash focused, but use the little money that they can save to start from somewhere. They should rather devote their time and energy into what they can do, bearing in mind that the end will certainly justify the means.?
It is an undeniable fact that a thriving and competitive agriculture sector relies on an effective innovation and a flourishing entrepreneurship environment.?Skills are also required to successfully develop and apply these innovative methods.
Good infrastructure, effective policies and regulations and access to appropriate financing are essential elements needed in the sector to make it attractive to the youth.
By Esther Awuah
Source: http://www.businessguideghana.com/?p=5336
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