Experts at the 9th Ghana Garden and Flower Show (GGFS) have enlightened youth and women on the business opportunities which exist in agriculture, and the need to seek opportunities that exist in the agribusiness space.
According to the team of agribusiness experts, agriculture outputs are essentials that individuals need – ranging from plants for oxygen, fruit for food, environmental beautification and clothing, among others, are all derived from this field; making it the wealthiest industry that youth and women must strive to establish their fit within.
GGFS has over the years provided the platform that afforded individuals and corporate Ghana the opportunity to invest in the agribusiness’ requisite knowledge needed by the youth to take advantage of resources in the agriculture space.
This year’s conference brought together students from the University of Ghana Agriculture Department, youth and women groups interested in floriculture and horticulture.
Chief Executive Officer of Stratcomm Africa, Esther A. N Cobbah, emphasised that agriculture is a great treasure that the youth need to take keen interest in, as it holds the key to a lot of wealth in the country.
“We are facilitating a better appreciation of agriculture among them to have a better attitude toward the field of agriculture for the good of the country.
Every year since 2013 that we have been doing this programme, I have seen innovativeness being displayed; and so I see that communication has the strength to draw out innovation, so the youth will shift into agriculture when they know the good about it,” she said.
She added that agriculture is a personal need, and as such individuals rather than the state institutions need to be encouraged and provided with the requisite skills to own the agriculture space for themselves.
She called on communities, churches, corporate bodies and individuals to see agriculture as an individual need and not a national campaign or one-day programme, as a greener, cleaner, healthier and wealthier Ghana is needed.
Executive Director, Ghana Enterprises Agency, Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, on her part shared some insights with the youth on how to develop business plans and build resilience to take advantage of the horticulture and floriculture sector in Ghana.
She indicated that this sector is a multi-billion-dollar one globally, but more often than not it is only tackled and left at the theoretical level in schools; but the GGFS agribusiness conference affords the opportunity to show them practical ways of turning the theory into viable business.
“At this point, we are looking at how do you turn horticulture and floriculture into a business. Because once you turn it into a business, it becomes profitable and also provides the opportunity to create jobs and engage more youth – which then translates into wealth generation,” she said.
Jeffery Appiagyei, Agricultural Technology Entrepreneur and winner of the 2020 Israeli Green Innovation Competition – a subsidiary award ceremony of the GGFS, shared his experiences with the agriculture students and enlightened them on the various opportunities and privileges one stands to gain by starting out on the right foot in the agriculture sector.
