Kumasi, April 16, GNA – Mr Dominic Oduro-Antwi, the President of the Ghana India Trade Advisory Chamber, said the Chamber is ready to support and provide direction for the public, especially the youth, willing to venture into agriculture.
The focus of the Chamber, he said, was to ensure smooth procedures for the export of agricultural produce and an increase in foreign exchange for economic development.
Mr Oduro-Antwi disclosed that his outfit was also providing funding and business opportunities for females in the agricultural space.
Speaking at the Ghana Youth Agriculture Summit in Kumasi, he charged the youth to eschew negative perceptions about agriculture, embrace the concepts and make meaningful livelihoods in the sector.
Those, he believed, would bridge the unemployment gap in the country and project Ghana in the agricultural business space.
The summit, on the theme: “Agriculture: A Solution to Youth Unemployment and Driver for Economic Development” attracted academia, businesses in the value chain, and students from second cycle and the tertiary institutions to learn and form networks.
It was organised by the Agricwealth-Ghana, International Association of Students in Agriculture branch of KNUST, in collaboration with the National Entrepreneurship Innovation Programme (NEIP).
Mr Oduro-Antwi charged the youth to be keen in researching to foster rapid change, add value to themselves and be innovative to tackling emerging issues.
He noted that research had helped countries around the world in advancing technology, business, healthcare and hospitality, among other areas.
Mr Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, the Chief Executive Officer, NEIP, said the Government was advancing efforts at making agriculture attractive to the Ghanaian youth, hence the huge investment in commercial farming under the Ghana Cares “Obaatanpa pa” Programme.
That would ensure rapid competitive import substitution, support commercial farming, increase food security and the supply of raw materials, he said.
The Reverend Evans Kyere Mensah, Convener of the Summit, expressed the summit’s readiness to change the negative perception of agriculture and draw in more of the youth to reduce the rate of unemployment, describing it as a national security threat.
“We must all be worried about it and take practical steps to deal with it, leaving no stone unturned,” he said.
He urged the Government to formulate a policy that would cushion the youth actively engaged in agriculture.
GNA