Nkawie (Ash), Dec. 1, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor says the Government was resolved and programmed to support and sustain the Youth in Agriculture Programme on long term basis.

He said that was necessary for re-adjusting the nation's psychology towards agriculture and restoring to it the dignity and profitability to enable the youth of today to accept it.

President Kufuor stated this when he addressed a durbar at Nkawie in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ashanti to mark the 22nd National Farmers' Day celebrations on Friday.

It was under the theme: "The Youth Employment; an Avenue for Sustainable Agricultural Development."

President Kufuor, therefore, appealed to chiefs and landlords to cooperate with the Government in taking the first step of land reforms, which was critical for the success of modern agriculture in the country. He said due compensation in various forms, mutually agreed up between owners and the State and lessees would be a basic and legal feature of the reforms.

President Kufuor pointed out that western education introduced misconceptions and prejudices into the Ghanaian society against farming to the extent that the country's educated class looked down on rural dwelling with its chief occupation of farming.

He blamed the current joblessness in the country to the failure of the country's educated class to appreciate what education really meant to enhance their abilities to better exploit the opportunities around them, especially in the rural areas.

President Kufuor said it was to address this substantial and still growing challenge of joblessness that the Government had purposefully launched the Youth Employment Programme.

He said the agriculture sector provided the biggest arena and opportunities for rolling out the programme.

He said the Government would facilitate the acquisition of land and provide technical and other needed resources as well as basic social amenities in the rural areas to attract the youth into agriculture and appealed to the youth to take advantage and embrace the programme. He commended farmers for their continued support to provide food to feed the people.

President Kufuor also cautioned Ghanaians against the dangers of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and urged them to be careful in their sexual relationships.

Mr Ernest Akubuor Debrah, Minister of Food and Agriculture, said Ghana was the only country in Sub-Saharan Africa that achieved the World Food Summit target of reducing hunger by 50 per cent. He said to further increase the country's agricultural growth, the Ministry had stepped up its leadership and facilitating roles towards modernising agriculture by improving access to improved seed and planting materials, farm machinery, agro-processing machinery and irrigation equipment.

Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries, said the Ministry had initiated measures to increase fish production in the country. She said about 321 people had been trained in aquaculture throughout the country to enable them to start their own fish farming projects. Mrs Asmah said the Ministry had also started discussions with the mining companies to include aquaculture in their alternative livelihood programmes.

Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister, stressed the need to encourage young people to take up farming in order to increase food production and reduce poverty in the country. About 71 gallant farmers were honoured at the ceremony. Their awards ranged from a house; vehicles; refrigerators; outboard motors; fishing nets; television sets to cutlasses among other things.