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Younger generation not interested in farming, despite opportunities – Minister

Pelpuo says "few" young people come to his office for support to go into the sector, describing the situation as not encouraging.

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Pelpuo says "few" young people come to his office for support to go into the sector, describing the situation as not encouraging.

Agriculture grew by 0.4 percent in 2015, a sign that Ghana maybe catching the Dutch disease after striking oil in 2007.

“Agriculture we all agree is the life blood of every nation’s economy including Ghana and if close to 60% of our youth is into Agric do you know what that will mean for our economy, there are only few young people who come to my office for guidance or support to go into the sector and that is not encouraging for the future of this country, the youth are just not interested in farming no matter how opportunities are abound, they want white man job,”Pelpuo said on Accra based Onua FM.

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Pelpuo said millennials turn to appreciate investing in the financial sector, hardware or commodity trading.

“If they don’t invest in the financial sector then they are dealing in hardware or even buy and selling,” he said.

Pelpuo said it was time people took advantage of “many opportunities” created by government to “start thinking agric or we will still keep complaining that the sector is collapsing.”

Meanwhile, SADA has secured the backing of the Finance Ministry to establish a financial institution to provide short term loans to small farmholders.

The yet to be established financial institution will be called the Savannah Investment and Development Bank.

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Pelpuo challenged young people to see him with their plans for agric and he will willingly provide them with the necessary support.

“I challenge any youth to take up the challenge and come to see me that they want to go into agric, he said. “[I] am happy to report that not long ago a young lady came to me that she wanted to go into can drink production and my office is willingly providing all the supports she needed.”

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