Over 100,000 youth are expected to benefit from an agribusiness initiative that will soon be rolled out by the Middle Belt Development Authority (MBDA).
The youth in agribusiness project will involve the establishment of agribusiness centres within the Authority’s jurisdiction in the Eastern, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions, to train beneficiaries in mechanised agriculture like greenhouse technology.
The project is expected to commence before the end of 2022. It will be piloted with 500 – 1,000 people and be scaled up progressively to the ultimate target of 100,000.
The CEO of Middle Belt Development Authority, Joseph Danquah who disclosed this said: “We are in discussion with a number of agro-processing companies to sign off-taker agreements for them to procure the expected produce. This will help prevent post-harvest losses, which have the tendency to ruin the whole concept”.
The agribusiness initiative, he explained, forms part of a broader spectrum of human capital development activities which have been outlined to complement hundreds of infrastructural projects the Authority has initiated since its establishment to promote holistic development.
He also mentioned the establishment of arts and cultural villages as another venture to create opportunities for actors in that space. “We’ll train interested people in activities such as kente weaving, wood carving and other artisanal works at these centres. I believe there are a number of people who need such support to be able to explore opportunities in the creative industry,” he said.
He added that the MBDA is in negotiation with some partners in Germany to offer Ghanaian nurses in-serving training to equip them to meet the standard for the European job market, indicating that about 1,000 nurses will be considered to work in Germany during the initial phase.
Mr. Danquah was speaking to journalists during the handing over of some infrastructural projects in the Nkoranza enclave of the Bono East Region.
Key among the projects were a three-unit classroom block at Ahyiam and a 30-shed market centre at Asekye in the Nkoranza North district. The GH¢304,000 facility will among others serve as a trading point for maize aggregators in that area.
