The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has urged Ghana’s youth to reconsider their perceptions of farming and adopt agriculture as a lucrative and sustainable career path.
The Minister was speaking at the Food, Agriculture, Technology and Sustainability Conference at the Ho Technical University on the theme “Rethinking the Future of Food and Its Allied Systems in an Era of Sustainability and Circularity.”
The Minister of Food and Agriculture underscored the enormous financial and developmental potential within the agricultural sector.
Mr. Opoku expressed concern that current societal attitudes, shaped early in life, discourage the youth from participating in farming. He recounted how students are often punished by being assigned to weed school grounds, reinforcing the belief that agriculture is a form of discipline.
He stressed that agriculture remains one of the most profitable ventures globally, citing data from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which shows that each dollar invested in sustainable agriculture returns $23. Similarly, investments in food nutrition and agricultural research yield $16 and $10, respectively, per dollar invested.
Highlighting the successes of prominent individuals in agriculture, Mr Opoku revealed that many high-ranking government officials are actively involved in farming. He disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama is currently Ghana’s biggest onion producer, while about 70% of Members of Parliament are farmers.
“The president of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, is a farmer. In fact, I can say with authority, when it comes to onion production in Ghana, John Dramani Mahama is the biggest producer.”
He urged young Ghanaians to take advantage of the abundant agricultural resources in the country, adding that agriculture is not just a key to food security but one of the fastest ways to achieve economic prosperity.
“Let’s take advantage of the huge agricultural potential that we have and develop our agriculture,” he appealed to the youth.
The conference at Ho Technical University brought together academics, policymakers, and stakeholders in the agricultural value chain to discuss innovations, sustainability practices, and strategies to secure the future of food in Ghana and beyond.
By: Daniel Orlando/newsalertgh.com
