Approximately three hundred and sixty-seven (367) agricultural students and beginner agribusinesses from various agricultural colleges, farm institutes, and universities across the country have been selected to participate in the 7th edition of the annual agricultural student's career guidance and mentorship dialogue boot camp, which will run for six (6) days from Sunday, May 19, to Friday, May 24, 2024.

The participating agricultural students and beginner agribusinesses include students from Adidome Agric College, Asuansi Farm Institute, Damango Agric College, Ejura Agricultural College, Kwadaso Agric College, Wenchi Agricultural College, Ohawu Agric College, Fair River Agric Institute, Veterinary College, and Animal Health Production.

Others include Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, Methodist University, University of Development Studies, All Nations University, Ghana Christian University College, University of Energy & Natural Resources, Central University, and University of Agricultural and Environmental Studies.

In a statement issued by Agrihouse Foundation, the organizers of the annual event, the Executive Director, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, expressed her excitement for the increase in participating schools and beginner agribusinesses in the upcoming 7th edition of the Agricultural Student Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue boot camp.

"Last year, we had seventeen schools participating. The increase in schools and numbers is an indication of interest, growth, and most importantly, a testament to the impact the boot camp has continuously had on beneficiaries over the years.

The boot camp has over the past six (6) years benefitted over 6000 participants, some of which have started their own agribusinesses and farm enterprises, while others have gained meaningful employment opportunities.

The focus of the boot camp this year is to excessively focus on how best we can accelerate our collective efforts to further enable, establish, shape mindsets, and open up more career opportunities for the growing numbers of Agri-youth," she added.

For the six (6) days running, campers will be involved in innovative activities and practices, with a sole agenda of ensuring that they appreciate, embrace, and understand the full cycle of the agribusiness value chain and the diverse opportunities it presents.

To this end, a detailed and integrated curriculum has been designed to engage the minds, creativity, innovative thinking, passion, and abilities of campers.

We expect an outcome where campers, at the end of the camping period, will be able to identify their drive and path within the agribusiness sector, build agri-leadership skills, explore hidden talents, acquire and develop knowledge in planning, implementation, and management, and be equipped with a better understanding of tools and programs that are available to help them succeed as farmers, agribusiness leaders, and/or employees of Agric-related enterprises.

Just as it happens almost every year, after the boot camp, we anticipate companies looking to recruit to equally identify great skills and talents among the campers for employment or internship opportunities. For participating beginner agribusinesses, we anticipate them to leverage the intensive sessions to enhance food security, promote sustainable practices, and contribute to shaping and transforming Ghana's agrifood systems.

Some of the activities designed to achieve this goal during the six-day boot camp include the Agri-Ted Talk session, where practicing and experienced individuals and agribusinesses share their career path with the campers.

We will also have the Ag-voyage, where campers embark on an experiential farm, agribusiness, and corporate field tour, providing them with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with various agribusiness operations in the country, ask questions, and explore potential business opportunities.

The students and beginner agribusinesses will also have the opportunity to meet and present their ideas with the various mentors and coaches assigned to them to brainstorm and put forward their agribusiness ideas to be modeled into businesses.

Three key highlights of the 7th agricultural student career mentorship and dialogue boot camp are the YES – WE CAN AGRI-INSPIRE session, which will witness women farmers, rural producers, processors, and farmers with disabilities selected across the country to inspire by sharing their resilience stories and business journey with the campers.

There will also be the Group Students Business Presentation, where campers, who have been grouped into businesses, get to present their business ideas to the team of judges.

Over the past six (6) years, the Group Students Business Presentation has enabled most of the campers to kickstart their businesses right after the boot camp. This is a realization and fulfillment of our efforts to enable and establish the agri-youth.

Another key highlight is the Students Input Dealer Business Pitch, where individual students will have the opportunity to pitch their business development approach on how they will manage an Input Dealer Shop in the community.

The Input Dealer Pitch component forms part of Agrihouse Foundation's agenda to ensure inputs are accessible to farmers at every location; village, community, or at the district or regional level.

Last year, then 22-year-old Charlotte Yawa Sodzedo of the Adidome Farm Institute won the Pitch. Agrihouse Foundation, together with Agromonti, fully funded by renting a store for 2 years in her name, fully filled the store with various inputs worth 35,000ghc for her as the prize package.

Charlotte's career path has fully kicked off, with her full ownership of the input shop in Adidome.

The winner of the Input Dealer Pitch for this year's edition is likely to receive double what Charlotte received.

The key thing for us is the fact that all the participating students are from different schools scattered across the 16 regions of Ghana. Thus, it is our hope to be able to get winners from different schools each year to strengthen our efforts of empowering them and further supporting farmers to have easy access to input in both the short to long term.

This year's boot camp is being supported by ADB, Jobberman, Kofi Vinyo, Kofi Ansah (Ahodwo Farms), Lexvee Agro-processing, and some of Agrihouse Foundation's women in agribusiness beneficiaries including Mama Abigail Gyama, Janet Adade, Queen Gafaratu Enterprise, Ayden Ventures, Nanvee Natural Foods, Vinolia Wealth Foods, ZLB Enterprise, Bebefu Ventures, WEID Ventures.