YOUTH!

WFO F@rmletter
EDITORIAL
Stakeholders in the sector should realise that institutional
support, training, access to inance, land, favourable policies,
and infrastructures, will help motivate the youths to take
over the family farm business and operate on a commercial
scale. Young people can choose to make agriculture a career
if the government and other stakeholders subsidize young
farmers, invest in infrastructure to improve farm-to-market
access, and develop agricultural industries.
Another long-standing assumption is that young people
are put off by hard, manual labour that characterizes smallholder
farming. The use of a cutlass and hoe is something
that could be replaced with affordable machines which can
make farming easier and faster. The accelerated uptake of
modern agricultural technologies would help, as these make
agriculture more productive and proitable, and thus more
attractive.
Financial support is important. Most youth start with nothing,
so they need inancing to make any headway in the sector. A
lexible loan incentive for young farmers is a good idea, as is it
a general investment in better infrastructure for rural farmers.
In conclusion, there should be a determined effort to ensure
that the younger generations tap into the potentials of
agriculture. That is the only way we can save the agriculture
sector, ensure food security, and increase agricultural productivity
when our ageing farmers are gone.
Photo credit: Courtesy of IITA/CGIAR
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