Nkwanta (O/R)-Ghana, June 27, GNA – Nana Sago Akineasin I, Chief of Nkwanta Akyode, has urged the youth to venture into farming for wealth creation and the promotion of food security. in the Municipality, Region, and the country at large.
Nana who is also an Aviation Safety Officer described the sector as profitable in an interview with Ghana News Agency during a visit to his yam farm when he encouraged the populace to see farming as a business capable of alleviating poverty than seeing it as a cursed occupation.
Nana bemoaned the unwillingness of most Ghanaian youth to take up farming despite the venture being capable of putting one on the path of financial freedom.
According to him, young people usually showed no interest in farming due to the assumption that the venture was unprofitable, adding that policies must be put in place to make agriculture attractive to the teeming unemployed youth.
He continued that instead of the youth staying at home for years after graduating from university, waiting for white collar jobs, they should get a portion of land somewhere and start planting something and see the result at the end of the year.
“Even though I am a government worker who receives salary every month but I thought it wise to venture into farming to provide food for my family and even some for commercial purposes because one can not live solely on one job for survival in this era since farming is our traditional occupation that do not require any qualifications, certificate or anything hence my decision to venture into farming” he said.
Touching on the advantages of farming, he explained that when given the required attention, more food and animal products would be locally produced, reducing the country’s over-reliance on other products and other food items.
He said this would also go a long way to promote rural prosperity as demand for food items from rural farming communities would increase.
The chief encouraged persons who were already in farming to do more research, get in touch with Extension officers in their areas and adapt to new methods of practising safe farming to boost yields and prevent post-harvest loss and also avoid the use chemicals on farms to avoid the harm that comes after consuming the foods and also to prevent the soil from losing it natural nutrients.
