Accra:The Volta Youth in Agriculture has praised Eric Opoku, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, for his contributions to enhancing agricultural production and transforming Ghana's agricultural sector.
According to Ghana Web, the group highlighted the Minister's emphasis on boosting food production, aiding farmers, fostering agricultural value chains, and creating avenues for youth participation in agriculture as key factors for establishing a sustainable agricultural economy.
In a press release by their Public Relations Officer, Joy Fiamawle, the Volta Youth in Agriculture underscored agriculture's pivotal role in job creation, youth empowerment, food security, poverty alleviation, and national development. They lauded government efforts to improve farmers' access to vital resources such as inputs, irrigation, mechanisation, markets, technology, and other productivity-enhancing resources.
The group stressed the importance of youth involvement in agriculture, advocating for initiatives that would enable young Ghanaians to become future leaders in farming, agribusiness, processing, exporting, and agricultural innovation. They urged the Ministry to focus on youth-led agriculture in the Volta Region, citing its potential in crop production, livestock, aquaculture, agro-processing, and agribusiness.
Additionally, the group called for a national programme to support young farmers with access to land, affordable financing, irrigation, improved seeds, mechanisation, extension services, storage and processing facilities, and assured markets for their produce.
They also emphasized the need to connect farmers with institutional markets, such as schools, hospitals, hotels, and large-scale buyers, to create sustainable markets and encourage more youth to view farming as a viable business. Concerns were raised about the lack of markets for cassava producers, and the group advocated for measures to establish reliable markets and enhance value addition and processing opportunities.
The Volta Youth in Agriculture expressed their readiness to partner with the government and stakeholders in promoting agriculture among the youth, reinforcing the notion that agriculture is both a business and a pathway to prosperity. They conveyed confidence that continued leadership, collaboration, and investment could reduce Ghana's reliance on imported food, increase domestic production, and develop a competitive agricultural sector. The group reiterated their appreciation for Opoku's dedication to agricultural development and emphasized the importance of keeping youth central to the agricultural transformation agenda.