Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has stated that the Youth in Agriculture Programme (YIAP) has been integrated into the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) program to facilitate the entry of the younger generation into agriculture with minimal challenges.
Under this initiative, the government will be providing about 200,000 youths with an average farm size of 10 acres as part of efforts to boost agriculture in the country and ensure food security.
The Agric Minister made this known during his speech at the conference regarding YIAP, which took place on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at the Cedi Conference Centre, University of Ghana.
“Our invitation to young people to go into agriculture is not a hole and cutlass business. Through the collaboration between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the YEA under the banner, “PFJ 2.0 Youth in Agriculture,” we are going to put 200,000 youth into permanent work in agriculture with each individual cultivating an average farm size of 10 acres,” Bryan Acheampong said.
He further explained that “this will mean putting 400,000 hectares of arable land under cultivation. The target commodities under this intervention would include maize, rice, and vegetables.”
“However, if we put all the 400,000 hectares of land under rice cultivation alone, we will exceed our food self-sufficiency production target of 1.8 million metric tonnes in two years instead of the five-year plan under the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has emphasized that the future of Ghana’s agriculture hinges on the youth.
According to the president, the government is reliant on the youths’ energy, novel concepts, and inventive approaches to enhance the overall prosperity of Ghana.
In light of this, he issued a passionate appeal to all young Ghanaians, regardless of their educational background, to unite in support of the government’s latest flagship program, “Youth in Agriculture.” He encouraged them to consider agriculture as a lifelong career choice.
“Sustaining Ghana’s agriculture is dependent on the youth. The youth are the future of this country, and we count on their vibrancy, fresh ideas, and innovation to improve our collective fortune,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He added: “Agriculture, a major sector of the economy awaits the participation of the youth both educated and uneducated. This dialogue, this platform is a valuable step towards harnessing the potential of the youth to address the challenges in the agriculture sector. Realized, this will ensure the sustainable development of agriculture for the overall benefit of our country.”
YIAP
The Youth in Agriculture Programme (YIAP) represents an agricultural sector initiative by the Government of Ghana (GOG) designed to inspire and encourage young individuals to view farming and food production as viable commercial enterprises, thereby choosing agriculture as a lifelong career.
The YIAP is entrusted with the role of mobilizing young people to embrace farming and its related activities as a lifelong pursuit. This approach offers several advantages, such as employment opportunities for the youth, the provision of tractor services, and the supply of agricultural inputs.
The overarching objective of the Youth in Agriculture Programme is to cultivate a mindset among the youth that views farming as a lucrative business endeavor. It aims to generate substantial income to address farmers’ personal and domestic needs, enhance the quality of life for young individuals through increased income, encourage them to remain in rural areas by providing inputs at their farm gates on a credit basis without interest, and employ modern techniques to produce an ample supply of food crops, meat, and fish.
The Youth in Agriculture encompasses four main components: Crops/Block Farm, Livestock and Poultry, Fisheries/Aquaculture, and Agribusiness. This initiative is open to individuals interested in farming, groups of young men and women within the community eager to engage in agriculture, and institutions dedicated to farmer training.