Dr Bryan Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture, has called on the Ghanaian youth to go into farming since it offers fulfilling and dignified livelihood.

He said the youth were an integral part of the nation’s development agenda, whiles agriculture held a vital position in Ghana’s economy, hence the need for the youth to change the misconception that that farming was a drudgery for the uneducated with minimal economic returns.

The minister was speaking at the Seventh Annual Agricultural Students’ Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue Bootcamp, (AG-STUD 2024), which opened in Accra on Monday.

The six-day bootcamp, organised by Agrihouse Foundation, is on the theme, “Accelerating our efforts in enabling and advancing career opportunities for Agri-youths: Role of public, private, and development partners.”

He said the AG-STUD was an initiative that exemplified the strategic measures and endeavours that value chain actors and stakeholders were implementing to dispel the misconceptions surrounding agribusiness among the youth.

“In reality, modern agriculture transcends traditional notions; it now offers diverse career opportunities in fields such as research, environmental sustainability, financial management, engineering, and various technical areas for young people to explore.”

Dr Acheampong said, “such initiatives serve as platforms for nurturing understanding and fostering enthusiasm for agriculture among young individuals, ultimately shaping a more vibrant and informed agricultural sector.”

He said “these bootcamps over the years have positively impacted the lives of over 6,000 participants, with most of them securing employment, initiating their businesses, and receiving invaluable mentorship and training from industry experts.”

The sector Minster urged participants to make the most of the sessions, saying it was a chance to explore new ideas, innovations, and technologies that were transforming agriculture. “It is an opportunity to be part of a community that is passionate about agriculture and committed to its growth and development.”

“We firmly believe that the future of agriculture rests in the hands of the youth, and we are steadfast in our commitment to offering the essential support and resources to aid in your success. I have no doubt that you will rise to the challenge and elevate Ghana’s agriculture to unprecedented heights,” he added.

Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle, said the beauty of the bootcamp was understanding that it was not just the skill of understanding which variety to plant, which season to plant, and where to plant, but developing oneself to become that successful agribusiness person inspiring lives and changing societies.

She said the agriculture sector, despite its numerous challenges, had many potentials for the youth, saying “as young people with interest in the sector you must be focused, serious, willing to learn and have the discipline and integrity and you will succeed, while others remain unemployed.”

She said, “as young people who will be taking various positions soon, keep the challenges of the sector in mind, and let your voices be heard because there are policies in place, but the challenges are real and unacceptable, and we must make things better.”

Ms Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, Founder and Executive Director, Agrihouse Foundation, said the AG-STUD aimed to enabling the Agri youth to understand the diverse career opportunities within the sector and to get influential people to inspire them.

“So, we have diverse coaches and mentors, who will help them build the can-do spirit and support them to develop their business plans that can be bankable and generate enough support.”

Some activities lined up for the bootcamp include, Agri-ted talk mentorship soft skills development sessions, Ag-Voyage and coach meet-up sessions, and Agri-inspire, mindset shaping, innovative role play and credibility and accountability sessions,

Others are Agri-booster and competency-based training sessions, and Agri-value, the future of the Agri-youth dialogue, beginner agribusiness competition and input dealer seal pitch.

Winners of the beginner agribusiness competition would be supported with starter packs, whiles an input dealer deal shop would be established for the winner of the input dealer deal pitch. In all 350 students are expected to participate.