Flagbearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, says he will make the agriculture sector in Ghana “sexy and cool” by providing the needed support to persons who want to venture in that field.
In a recent address at Wisconsin International University College in Accra, John Mahama laments the appalling and unattractiveness in the sector with little to no incentives to farmers by the current administration.
“When we were in office if you go to Dawenya, we set greenhouses there, the intention was to allocate it to young people who were interested in agriculture to produce vegetables for the markets in Accra but unfortunately after we left, my understanding was the place has been abandoned and so, we are going to make agriculture sexy and cool so that young people can be interested”
Farming in Ghana faces several challenges that contribute to its perceived unattractiveness.
John Mahama promises to prioritise young people with the necessary technical skills, entrepreneurship, and training and the requisite technological support to enable them offer productivity enhancing services to farmers.
The 2017/2018 Ghana Census of Agriculture report revealed that over 11.3 million Ghanaians are involved in agriculture. Agricultural activity in the country, according to the report, remains mainly rural and rudimentary, with little innovation and modernization.
It says the level of education among agricultural holders is low; while the sector, to a large extent, is characterized by consumption of its own produce.
By: Vanessa Edotom Boateng | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
