India is famous for gifting the world the knowledge and charisma of Mahatma Gandhi as well as the exhilarating movies of Bollywood.

As well as being largely known around the world for the aforementioned, the country has made a significant leap in the last two decades that today, she is considered an agricultural great worthy of emulation.

India’s agriculture is composed of many crops, with the foremost food staples being rice and wheat. Indian farmers also grow pulses, potatoes, sugarcane, oilseeds, and such non-food items as cotton, tea, coffee, rubber.

According to recent FAO world agriculture statistics, India is the world’s largest producer of many fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, major spices, select fibrous crops such as jute, staples such as millets and castor oil seed. India is the second largest producer of wheat and rice, the world’s major food staples.

India is the world’s second or third largest producer of several dry fruits, agriculture-based textile raw materials, roots and tuber crops, pulses, farmed fish, eggs, coconut, sugarcane and numerous vegetables .

Agriculture is crucial to India’s burgeoning economy- and statistics point to even better days for the country in the near-future. Over 58 per cent of the rural families in India depend on agriculture as their primary means of income. The Indian food industry is poised for huge growth, increasing its contribution to world food trade every year due to its immense potential for value addition, particularly within the food processing industry. The Indian food and grocery market is the world’s sixth largest, with retail contributing 70 per cent of the sales.

Market Dimension

During 2017-18 crop year, food grain production is expected to reach a record 277.49 million tonnes-a figure that has seen a marginal improvement from 275.68 million tonnes   only a year ago.

India has been the world’s largest producer of milk for the last two decades and contributes 19 per cent of the world’s total milk production.

India is emerging as the export hub of instant coffee which has led to exports of coffee increase 17 per cent in calendar year 2017 to reach US$ 958.80 million. Tea exports from India reached a 36 year high of 240.68 million kgs in CY 2017.

India topped the list of shrimp exporters globally in 2016 with exports of US$ 3.8 billion which are expected to double to US$ 7 billion by 2022.

Total area in India, sown with rabi crops reached 64.29 million hectares in February 2018.

India is the second largest fruit producer in the world. India’s horticulture output reached 300.64 million tonnes in 2016-17 and is expected to reach 305.43 million tonnes in 2017-18.

Agricultural export constitutes 10 per cent of the country’s exports and is the fourth-largest exported principal commodity. Agricultural exports from India reached US$ 28.09 billion during April 2017-January 2018 with exports of basmati, buffalo meat reaching US$ 6.19 billion and US$ 6.59 billion, respectively.

India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices and spice products. Spice exports from India grew by 6 per cent year-on-year between April-September 2017 to US$ 1.37 billion.

According to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the Indian agricultural services and agricultural machinery sectors have cumulatively attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflow of about US$ 2.02 billion and US$ 466.31 million, respectively, during April 2000 to December 2017. The food processing sector attracted FDI of US$ 8.37 billion in the same period.

Some major investments and developments in agriculture are as follows:

The first mega food park in Rajasthan was inaugurated in March 2018.

Sugar production in India is expected to reach 27.2 million tonnes in 2017-18 season (October-September).

In January 2018, India Agri Business Fund II (IABF-II), co-sponsored by Rabobank, the UK’s CDC Group and Asian Development Bank (ADB), made an investment worth US$ 10 million for a minority stake in Global Gourmet Pvt Ltd, a frozen food products exporting company.

A loan agreement of US$ 318 million was signed between the Government of India, Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank in December 2017 for the ‘Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project’ through which is expected to benefit around 500,000 farmers in the state.

Cotton output in India is expected to increase by 9 per cent in 2017-184 to 37.7 million bales.

Government interventions

Some of the recent major government initiatives in the sector are as follows:

In March 2018, the Government of India extended the urea subsidy to the farmers till 2020 with the aim of ensuring supply of urea at statutory controlled prices. Urea subsidy for 2018-19 is estimated at Rs 45,000 crore (US$ 6.95 billion).

As of March 2018, the Government is working on a plan to provide air cargo support to promote agriculture exports from India.

The Government of India is going to provide Rs 2,000 crore (US$ 306.29 million) for computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) to ensure cooperatives are benefitted through digital technology.

Around 100 million Soil Health Cards (SHCs) have been distributed in the country during 2015-17 and a soil health mobile app has been launched to help Indian farmers.

With an aim to boost innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture, the Government of India is introducing a new AGRI-UDAAN programme to mentor start-ups and to enable them to connect with potential investors.

The Government of India has launched the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) with an investment of Rs 50,000 crore (US$ 7.7 billion) aimed at development of irrigation sources for providing a permanent solution from drought.

The Government of India plans to triple the capacity of food processing sector in India from the current 10 per cent of agriculture produce and has also committed Rs 6,000 crore (US$ 936.38 billion) as investments for mega food parks in the country, as a part of the Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters (SAMPADA).

The Government of India has allowed 100 per cent FDI in marketing of food products and in food product e-commerce under the automatic route.

A new platform for selling agricultural produce named e-RaKam has been launched by the Government of India and will operate as a joint initiative of Metal Scrap Trade Corporation Limited and Central Railside Warehouse Company Limited (CRWC).

Good prospects

India is expected to achieve the ambitious goal of doubling farm income by 2022. The agriculture sector in India is expected to generate better momentum in the next few years due to increased investments in agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation facilities, warehousing and cold storage. Furthermore, the growing use of genetically modified crops will likely improve the yield for Indian farmers. India is expected to be self-sufficient in pulses in the coming few years due to concerted efforts of scientists to get early-maturing varieties of pulses and the increase in minimum support price.

The government of India targets to increase the average income of a farmer household at current prices to Rs 219,724 (US$ 3,420.21) by 2022-23 from Rs 96,703 (US$ 1,505.27) in 2015-16.

Going forward, the adoption of food safety and quality assurance mechanisms such as Total Quality Management (TQM) including ISO 9000, ISO 22000, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygienic Practices (GHP) by the food processing industry will offer several benefits.

 Irrigation structures

Indian irrigation infrastructure includes a network of major and minor canals from rivers, groundwater well-based systems, tanks, and other rainwater harvesting projects for agricultural activities. Of these, the groundwater system is the largest. Of the 160 million hectares of cultivated land in India, about 39 million hectare can be irrigated by groundwater wells and an additional 22 million hectares by irrigation canals. In 2010, only about 35% of agricultural land in India was reliably irrigated. About 2/3rd cultivated land in India is dependent on monsoons. The improvements in irrigation infrastructure in the last 50 years have helped India improve food security, reduce dependence on monsoons, improve agricultural productivity and create rural job opportunities. Dams used for irrigation projects have helped provide drinking water to a growing rural population, control flood and prevent drought-related damage to agriculture.

Organic Agriculture

Organic agriculture has huge historic ramifications for India. Having fed India for centuries, the country has made sure that a budding organic farming sector is in place and thriving despite the widespread use of synthetic agrochemicals in the country currently.

India has 6,50,000 organic producers, which is more than that of any other country. India also has 4 million hectares of land certified as organic wild culture, which is third in the world (after Finland and Zambia ).

As India struggles to get its animal husbandry sector going, the more rewarding option of producing protein rich cattle, fish and poultry feed using biogas /methane/natural gas by cultivating Methylococcus capsulatus bacteria with tiny land and water foot print has emerged a solution for guaranteeing sufficient protein rich food to the population.

Productivity

Although India has attained self-sufficiency in food staples, the productivity of its farms is below that of Brazil, the United States, France and other nations. Indian wheat farms, for example, produce about a third of the wheat per hectare per year compared to farms in France. Rice productivity in India was less than half that of China. Other staples productivity in India is similarly low. Indian total factor productivity growth remains below 2% per annum; in contrast, China’s total factor productivity growth is about 6% per annum, even though China also has smallholding farmers. Several studies suggest India could eradicate hunger and malnutrition and be a major source of food for the world by achieving productivity comparable with other countries.

Pesticide use and crop safety

The importance of pesticides for agriculture is enormous because they are considered as one of the major tools to protect crops and increase the yield. In In India today, the crop protection products sector is a fast developing industry, which is open to innovation. The pesticides market is also propelled by factors like growing population, and the need for minimizing crop damage. The opportunity lies in developing and executing innovative farming solutions that address the needs of the Indian farmer with very low landholding size, resources and knowhow available to him. India has to ensure food security for population of 1.21 billion while facing reduction in cultivable land resource. With increasing population, demand for food grains is increasing at a faster pace as compared to its production. This necessitates the use of pesticides or crop protection chemicals in a judicious manner within the confines of a regulatory framework of the country.

The Crop protection industry in India has been facing major challenges like influx of counterfeiting of crop protection solutions, which affects food production, the health of farmers and consumers, and the overall environment. In India, spurious pesticides constitute 25 % of the pesticide market. The other vital issues of pesticides industry such as prevention of use of spurious pesticides, quality standards, testing, review of use of pesticides, to create awareness about judicious use of pesticides among the farmer community are supervised by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation(DAC).

Support for Ghana agriculture

Ghana and India share ties that have endured nearly a century. This longstanding relationship with India has seen Ghana benefit so much –particularly in the area of support for her vibrant agricultural sector.

Last year Ghana signed a number of partnership agreements with India to boost the supply of agricultural machinery, credit advancement to farmers and scientific cooperation.

The agreements which involved other African countries keen to develop their agriculture were hinged on the supply of farm machinery and adequate training on usage and maintenance.

In his remarks, State Minister of Agriculture, Chimanbhai Dharamshibai Shaparia , said “We feel the areas identified for cooperation could raise agricultural productivity in Africa and we want to ensure that capacity building is given full priority.”

Similarly, The Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, His Excellency Birender Singh, has recently reiterated his government readiness to support Ghana’s agriculture.

Mr. Birender Singh identified areas of agro processing, agric mechanization as well as services and maintenance as the capacities that the Indian government could help Ghana improve.

His Excellency Birender Singh gave the indication during a courtesy call on the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto.

The forgoing is only a microcosm of the huge investments that India continues to make in the Ghanaian agri sector.

One would hope that Ghana will take full advantage of the enormous support being received and use same to propel the Planting for Food and Jobs initiatives of government which has the potential of propelling our agriculture to stellar heights.

About the Writer:

Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa is the Lead Consultant at Agrihouse Communications, the premier data-driven agro Public Relations, Media Relations and Events Management firm. She is also the Founder of Agrihouse Foundation, a non-governmental capacity building organization, with a special focus on agro-based youth mentorship and leadership grooming, agribusiness development through the organization of exhibitions, training programs, research, agri-trade relations and promotions.

Exploring the Option of Agro tourism

Agriculture has been a source of tremendous blessing to mankind and indeed Ghana. Since time immemorial, agriculture has proven to be the lifeblood of the world as it has not only been a source of food but a seedbed for other crucial industries.

Today, advancement in knowledge means that agriculture could and should be used for more than crop cultivation and livestock farming. Indeed the agriculture industry has proven to be a dynamic industry that presents a myriad of options that may not be evident from a casual glimpse of the industry.

Once upon a time, when the word “tourism” was mentioned, the imagery that quickly came to mind was that of travelling, wanderlust and basically –unbridled fun. Agriculture was hardly anywhere in sight when tourism was being considered-not anymore.

Today, agriculture is at the forefront of generating billions of dollars for countries who have made a commitment to maximising the monumental opportunities inherent in the industry through agro-tourism.

Agro-tourism is a niche form of tourism that involves the attraction of people to farms, plantations, ranches and other agricultural enterprises or landmarks. This form of tourism takes tourist or visitors to agriculture facility sites to help them appreciate the full cycle of their operations. It also affords tourists the opportunity to enjoy activities like picking fruits and vegetables  , horse and donkey riding, tasting honey, learning about alcohol distilling and palm oil processing etc.

In African Agro-tourism is fast gaining prominence; with considerable progress already recorded in south and eastern Africa. Outside Africa, agro tourism is contributing significantly to the both the farmer and local industries of Mexico, Philippines, India and the USA.

In Ghana however, the phrase ‘agro tourism’  remains alien to many as the venture is yet to receive any meaningful attention by government and industry players alike; a situation that needs addressing urgently to open alternative doors of opportunities for farmers and other industry practitioners.

While the benefits of agro tourism are too obvious to miss, the main drawback for agro tourism according to industry experts is attributable to lack of knowledge and exposure on the part of a majority of farmers who often show very little interest in shelving old primitive practices for new and advanced ones.

Benefits for Ghana

Although the Ghanaian farmer is undoubtedly a hard worker, not many can boast decent livelihoods. Many a Ghanaian farmer works diligently to churn out plenty only to be recompensed with little or nothing.

This makes the option of agro-tourism even more interesting and worth exploring to create a potentially lucrative income source for the diligent Ghanaian farmer while also contributing significantly to the development of the industry and in extension, the entire country. This could also be a catalyst that will spur our farmers   to adopt modern farming techniques that will make their farms eligible for tourist visits.

Agro tourism is also an effectual tool for wooing youth interest in agriculture. By nature the youth finds fun and adventure alluring .If stakeholders led by the government can initiative deliberate steps aimed at making the Ghanaian youth central to renewed efforts to make agro-tourism an essential part of our agriculture industry, we could well be on our way to experiencing a surge in youth participation in agriculture; a scenario that will have a monumental impact on the country’s development agenda.

Local effect

On the local scene, agro tourism will become a great addition to the Ghanaian agricultural culture. It will no doubt present tourism enthusiasts in the country with an alternative to regular tourism which will surely prove an exciting deviation.

As calls for a mentality change towards agriculture in the country garners steam, agro-tourism presents a beautiful and well–timed opportunity for attracting the cosmopolitan populace especially; to our hinterlands where about 85% of our agricultural endeavours are sited. It will be interesting to afford youngsters and adults alike a chance to experience first-hand the nitty-gritties of the agriculture value chain and how that culminates in the countless agric products that we savour daily.

Agro-tourism is an ideal initiative that if adequately harnessed could also help shred off a substantial chunk of the rural unemployment numbers. Tourism of any kind attracts people-and people, once out of their homes and immediate vicinity are naturally going to have need for basic necessities like food, shelter and clothing etc. This portends an opportunity for rural folks to gain direct and indirect employment and consequently improve their lives.

In fact a well-structured national agro-tourism initiative could be used to engineer an end to the malignant ‘kayayie’ issue that has so far defied every state-proffered solution. If there are agro tourism inspired opportunities in the Upper-East and Upper-West regions, which is home to most of the vulnerable young women involved in the debasing ‘kayayie’ undertakings, we could effectively halt the rural urban migration train that continues to flood our already choked capital city with young people in search of   non-existent jobs.

This could be the much anticipated solution to the ‘kayayie’ menace as no one with a reasonable source of livelihood will explore the option of leaving behind family warmth in favour of migration to the city to endure a life of utter squalor when they can enjoy better conditions in their native homes.

Foreign exchange  

On the global stage, Ghana is definitely a name to be reckoned with. Indeed the world’s second largest producer of an important commodity like cocoa can’t be anonymous among the comity of nations; can she?

Aside her cocoa Ghana is renowned for the export of quality products like coffee, cashew nuts, vegetables, fruits and leather products. This makes the country a potential for foreign visitors who would no doubt want to experience the sights and sounds of the land that has gifted the world so much wholesome nourishment with her quality agricultural products.

If agro tourism is taken seriously by relevant authorities and stakeholders, Ghana could be set to benefit from a windfall of foreign exchange that tourists drawn to the country will afford the country through visits.

The influx of visitors into the country will be a blessing to Ghana in more ways than one. As is the case with regular tourism, every aspect of national life will get a lift if Agro-tourism is taken seriously by all and sundry.

Cultural experience

Agriculture is a practice often sandwiched by other rich cultural indices. For the foreigner and the Ghanaian alike, a chance to experience the exhilarating cultural diversity of the Ghanaian nation is too good to turn down. This incentive will greatly fuel agro tourism participation by the public and reinforce a sense of nationalism among local tourists as it will provide visitors a chance to experience Ghana in such a realistic form they probably have never imagined.

Agro-tourism will present visitors a chance to enjoy native food and purchase fabrics as well as other artefacts. The experience garnered during such expeditions will be a great avenue for encouraging cultural exchange and transmission between visiting local tourists and the indigenes of host communities.

Media herald

The media will have to be at its ‘advocacy best’ if a Ghana will come to experience the avalanche of benefits that could accrue from a well-executed national agro tourism initiative.

The government is clearly inundated with a lot and so a key stakeholder like the media must rise and take centre stage in sensitizing the public through a deliberate campaign to get the entire public on the agro tourism bandwagon.

The recent success chalked by the media in applying the brakes on the wanton destruction of the countries lands and water bodies by illegal miners popularly known as ‘galamsayers’ is the best evidence yet of how the media could help efforts to make agro-tourism a household name in Ghana a reality.

Through a coordinated media focus we have a big chance of making the most of agro- tourism as we collectively strive to propel our dear country towards progress.

Catalyst for rural development

The quest to bridge the socio-economic gap between rural Ghana and urban Ghana will receive great impetus if agro-tourism is embraced and given the necessary support to grow. While it is unrealistic to expect a replication of the magnitude of infrastructural development obtainable in the cities in our rural settlements, we can at least work to improve the lot of the communities that account for the nutritious agro products that we continually enjoy.

A thriving agro-tourism sector will gradually but surely help our hinterlands attract better and adequate infrastructure like roads, water supply, schools etc. as government and investors will be compelled to   invest more in these rural communities that can best be described as deprived.

Need for training

To get agro tourism kicking-on in Ghana, the farmer is undoubtedly the most important stakeholder to target. The reason for this is not far-fetched-many a Ghanaian farmer is bereft of the requisite knowledge to conduct agro tours, marketing skills to better position their enterprises for revenue generation or even how to identify target audience and woo them over to their farms.

Training is therefore crucial to ensure that we don’t start what is clearly a brilliant idea only to slump into an abyss of stagnancy shortly afterwards. Adequate training will embolden farmers with the expertise necessary to fully capitalise on the potential of agro-tourism to transform the livelihood of the Ghanaian farmer, improve the lot of the industry and set Ghana on the path to progress.

Conclusion

Obviously there is more to agriculture than meets the eye. The industry is a source of goodness ordained by the creator for mankind’s benefit. To benefit optimally however, we must think constructively and commit ourselves to adding value to the industry as other countries of the world have managed to do so brilliantly.

The world has come to the knowledge of the huge benefit of agriculture and some countries have taken the lead in exploiting these inherent benefits already. The onus therefore lies on Ghana to identify the vast potential presented by the industry and make concerted effort to   ensure that agriculture emerges as the undisputed bedrock for the socio-economic transformation of our dear country, Ghana.

In Europe where the Netherlands is geographically situated, the country is a beacon of excellence in innovative agriculture. Ghana on the other hand, is enormously blessed with an agricultural sector that is not short of eye-catching potential, however, unlike her Dutch counterpart, Ghana has a long way to travel if the country will fulfil the vast potential inherent in her agricultural sector.

While the relationship between the two countries continues to grow, Ghana particularly, could borrow a leaf from the Netherlands who despite being a small country has established itself as a cynosure of agricultural brilliance.

The Netherlands is a small yet densely populated country with a population of about 1,300 inhabitants per square mile. According to a myriad of literature which have documented   the country’s incredible rise to the top of the agricultural enterprise, at the onset of the country’s national drive for agriculture, many cynics were of the opinion that the country was bereft of the resources which were thought to be necessary for success in any full scale agricultural endeavour of national proportion.

The Netherlands brushed aside the wet-blankets; and would you believe it? Today the Dutch have made their country the words second highest exporter of food as measured by value, beaten to top spot of that record by the United States which amazingly has 270 times its landmass!

Viewed from the sky, the Netherlands is said to look like “a disjointed patchwork of intensely cultivated fields most of them, tiny by agribusiness standards, punctuated by bustling cities and suburbs”; a description that lays further claim to the fact that the countries success in agriculture is down to sheer determination of a people bound by the common cause of wanting to provide the world with enough wholesome food with little or no harm to the environment. Despite the countries relatively small arable land space, the country through a resolute approach has turned to greenhouses which have been instrumental to its giant strides in agriculture.

Holland’s greenhouse complexes provide an extraordinary view of the incredible work the country has done in the area of agriculture. With some covering an upwards of 175 acres of earth, the country is now literally strewn with greenhouse edifices; which is a big demonstration yet of the venerable commitment of the Dutch to agriculture.

The greenhouse concept which involves sheltering and tending plant crops in climate controlled enclosures is a wonderful innovation that has made a country not famous for the best soil quality, the world’s leading exporter of a fair weather reliant agricultural produce like tomatoes.

Aside her exploits in the cultivation of tomatoes, Netherlands holds the enviable record of being the world’s top exporter of potatoes and onions and the second largest exporter of vegetables overall in terms of value. In fact, more than a third of all global trade in vegetables seeds originates from the Netherlands.

The journey of the Netherlands towards success in agriculture is not only tied to wonderful innovations. The country also boasts an array of impressive hardware technology that are relied on by farmers countrywide to collectively grow the tons of agricultural produce that the country ships out to feed the rest of the world.

About Twenty years ago the Netherlands made a national commitment akin to the “Planting for Food and Jobs” which Ghana is currently banking the much anticipated revitalization of her agricultural sector on.

Like the planting for food and jobs, the Netherlands rolled out her national agriculture agenda with a goal of “Producing Twice as Much Food Using Half as Many Resources.”

Having laid the marker for a national policy, the Dutch took full advantage without hesitation-the result is the lofty heights the country occupies in the League of Nations who provide the world’s wholesome agricultural produce.

Through its innovative agrifood technology, the Dutch agrifood sector has carved a niche for itself as one that prioritises safe, healthy food that is produced in strict adherence to respect for nature and the environment.

Today, the Dutch agricultural sector is cardinally focused on sustainability rather than mere profit making. The sector through this approach has managed to establish itself as a source of safe food that is produced with outmost respect for the landscape and the environment.

Lessons for Ghana

Ghana has plenty to learn from the Netherlands. If there is any part of the “Netherlands agricultural success story” that catches the eye, it has to be the start point; where the country made a conscious commitment to tow a certain path in its quest to make a mark in agriculture.

Every journey they say begins with a step; but even more crucial is the kind of step and the commitment to making sure that successive steps culminate in a sustained trajectory that guarantees success.

It is heart-warming when in acknowledging the crucial role played by the “Producing Twice as Much Food Using Half as Many Resources “, the Ghanaian version of “Planting for Food and Jobs “comes to mind.

The Dutch story is testament that Ghana may just be on the right path with a flagship policy that aims to guarantee food security and address mass unemployment.

To succeed however, it is important that stakeholders in the industry come on board to own the policy. Like the Dutch example, we must have a national commitment to make the policy work; especially since it proposes a clear-cut direction that aims to tackle the huge challenge of food security and mass unemployment.

Ghana has massive potential waiting to be tapped, and the example of the Netherlands is a fine demonstration of how we can transform our agriculture sector to make it a pride not only for the country but for the African continent.

While we consider the exploits of the Dutch fixatedly, the refreshing reality is that the Netherlands have not hidden its desire to help Ghana succeed in agriculture. The annals hold records of backing received from the Netherlands since independence. This support has not dried up by any means as the Netherlands continues to contribute significantly to efforts aimed at propelling the local agricultural sector.

Support for agric in Ghana

Though Ghana’s relationship with the Netherlands is on many fronts, the European nation’s contributions to Ghana are too big to ignore. Annually the Netherlands commits millions of dollars to the Ghanaian agricultural sector through projects and other support mechanisms. Consequently, the efforts of the Netherlands have been lauded serially by politicians as well as industry players.

The Ghanaveg project which is one such effort of the Netherlands seeks to increase productivity ,facilitate efficient markets, link farmers and other value chain operators to the Dutch private sector with the aim of improving the fortunes of the local Ghanaian agricultural   sector.

Conclusion

A good example is worth emulating any day, and the Netherlands provides just that. From humble beginnings the country has managed success that is befitting of the adjective ‘incredible’

The onus therefore lies on Ghana to take full advantage of the healthy relationship that exists between herself and the Netherlands to emulate the impressive achievement of the European country in agriculture.

While Ghana may find the technological sophistication of the Netherlands an uphill task to climb in the present, the national commitment exhibited by the Dutch is one that we cannot afford to ignore.

The much publicised “Planting for Food and Jobs “gives us a fantastic avenue to shine; and what we must do is embrace the policy regardless of political sentiments to ensure that Ghana emerges the winner by the time the policy is exhaustively implemented by government.

Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa

Lead Consultant and Founder – Agrihouse Communications and Agrihouse Foundation

The launch-pad for future agric professionals

Overview

Available Statistics suggest Africa has the largest youth population in the world. While this indication is a positive one in many respects, it has not reflected in the continents hugely important agriculture industry.

The apparent disconnect that exists between the continent’s youth population and the agriculture industry is worrying as experts projections have consistently tipped agriculture as the surest path to socio-economic development for the African continent.

Agrihouse foundation, a leading pro-agric establishment with a desire to bridge the existing gap, launched the Agric students Career and Mentorship Dialogue, capacity boot camp event dubbed AGSTUD Africa 2018.

AGSTUD Africa 2018 is a student capacity building boot-camp which was calculated to specifically attract students of agricultural science. The maiden edition of the programme was held from 20th-23^rd February in Accra at M plaza Hotel.

A total of 20 institutions and 320 students participated in the event which included:

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology (KNUST), University of Ghana, (Legon), Wenchi Senior High School,Asuansi Farm Institute,Kwadaso Agricultural College, Damango Agricultural College,Fairriver Barekese SHS,Amasaman SHS,Saint Thomas Aquainas ,Manhean SHS,Ngleshie Amanfro SHS, Central University ,Oreilly SHS, labone SHS,Ashaiman SHS and Ghanata SHS.

 The organizers

Agrihouse Foundation is a non-governmental agricultural capacity building organization, with a special focus on the promotion of, and changing perception of agriculture through tactical programs and initiatives for students, women, farmers, farming associations, agribusinesses and the entire actors within the value chain.

The foundation’s  initiatives focuses on empowerment, grooming, leadership, best practices, management training programs, etc. that leads to effecting positive change in the mind, field, economy  and translate to the community.

In her inaugural address, Team Lead for Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, stressed the need to fully equip the youth to take the reins of the agriculture industry. According to her, simply involving the youth in agriculture wasn’t good enough. She proffered a fully equipped agric student population as the definite solution to youth agric apathy.

“We believe the future of agriculture belongs to the youth. That is why we have designed this event to ensure that we provide an avenue for training the next generation of agric industry professional’s. This event is the first of many initiatives that we have outlined to aid renewed efforts aimed at repositioning the agric industry for optimum impact. ” she affirmed.

NFFAWAG support

Agrihouse Foundation received a strong arm of support as The National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association, Ghana; (NFFAWAG) partnered the main organizers to ensure a successful event.

The National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association, Ghana, (NFFAWAG) is a flagship farmer-organization dedicated to spurring farmers for excellence in the agriculture sector.

The association is a wholly pro agrIc association established in response to the need to have a true agricultural umbrella body that works to address the peculiar needs of the Ghanaian farmer; with a view of helping them to fulfill their occupational potential under the best of conditions like their counterparts in the developed world.

The association’s membership combines past winners of the prestigious National Best Farmer awards and other farmers who are drawn to the central objective of bringing together farmers and giving them a platform to move their enterprise to great heights.

According to Mr. Nene Davies Korboe, the chairman of the association, agric is a viable wealth creation tool that young people must appreciate to realize their dreams of financial independence.

He explained in his mentorship session with participants, how he has managed to create wealth through management of acres of mango plantations that are a source of fresh organic fruits for many markets. He challenged the students to take their destinies in their own hands and venture into the industry with a mindset of integrity and a desire to achieve excellence.

Event structure

The event was a three day event with various event modules .The event opened with a ceremony which   had a representative of the Brazilian ambassador to Ghana in attendance to share with participants the narrative of the role of agriculture in the rapid growth of the Brazilian economy. He extoled the efforts of the Ghanaian government in promoting agric and assured that the Ghanaian economy would blossom with the renewed efforts of government.

The CEO of Goat Masters Mr. Gideon Konotey led the participants in a session on starting an agri-business. He spoke effusively about the many grass- to-grace stories which abound of young individuals who turned their backs on white-collar jobs in Accra in favour of agric enterprises. He indicated that the agric industry presents the best opportunity for jobs as it has proven to be a sector with boundless possibilities.

The day climaxed after a sequence of other inspiring sessions led by industry stalwarts with years of experience. As each speaker took to the podium, the consensus in their rhetoric was that of a need to look in the direction of agric for wealth creation opportunities.

The second day of AGSTUD began with the same euphoria that was noticeable on the first day of the event. Students stormed the Mplaza Hotel visibly poised for another day of enthralling program itinerary. If the students came expecting another great day, their expectations were surpassed as speakers took turns to deliver inspirational sessions which were intermittently met with rapturous applause from excited participants.

As the main feature of day two, participants numbering over 500 were taken on a tour of key industry enterprises to have a first –hand experience of the operational structures of these industry players.

The tour bus made its first stop at Blue Skies fruit processing company where participants were taken through the nitty-gritties of fresh fruit processing. Mr. Alistair Djimatey the Public Relations Officer and Foundation Manager of Blue Skies who led the tour explained that the company serves major European retail stores across Europe with a variety of fresh organic fruits from Ghana. He went on to add that from the reception of the fruits from farmers through to when they are loaded on planes en-route to Europe, their products are handled in adherence to the most stringent food safety standards.

According to him, the company is easily one of the biggest employers of labour   in the private sector as it engages both farmers and factory hands in direct and indirect employment. The efforts of these are complimented by a world class team of skilled professional staff who oversee the day-to-day activities of Blue Skies.

After an exciting time at Blue Skies, the team made its next stop at Adieso in the Easter Region. Here the team visited HPW, A dry fruit processing company redefining fruit processing in Ghana. At the firms sprawling facility overlooking an endless stretch of lush green farmlands in the outskirts of Adieso community, the team was led by the Head of operations, Mr. James Obeng who after an initial video presentation, took the participants on a tour of the firms operational departments for participants to better appreciate what HPW does.

The team left Adieso having learnt of the fundamental processes involved in dry fruit processing and how the trend is increasingly becoming an investment attraction; especially as the demand for dry fruit continues to increase in Europe and other parts of the world.

Though visibly tired from the first two trips, participants didn’t turn down further trips to Yara Ghana, John Deere and Dizengoff; where like the afore -mentioned trips, participants were taken through the operational nitty-gritties of the firms and their contribution to the development of the Ghanaian agric industry.

Speaking on his experience during the tour, Prince Antwi a participant from Central University praised Agrihouse Foundation for an “incredible experience” .He noted that the tour had given him a much needed insight into the roles played by some key actors in the agric value chain.

“I am truly blessed to have been part of this program and particularly this tour. Today I have learnt that there is more to agriculture than meets the eye. I am hopeful the experience garnered here today will embolden me for success in the future when I am ready to pursue my dreams in the industry.”

Dignitaries and mentors

AGSTUD Africa 2018 attracted a host of dignitaries that included MP for Korle Klottey Constituency, Zenator Rawlings. The lawmaker graced the event on the third day and made sure to inspire the expectants students with her concise speech. She encouraged the students to believe in their chosen career path and work hard at all times to ensure chaste success. She bemoaned the lack of creativity among young people and underscored the need to prioritize creativity, hard work and excellence.

Other mentors who made sure the participants were never short of inspiration included:

Mr. Davies Narh Kroboe (NFFAWAG)

Berle Baryeh Kenmegne,Nana Adwoah Sifa  (John Deere)

Farmer Brown

Castro Antwi Danso (ESOKO)

Desmond Nii Out,Kojo Nyansakyere (Supreme Engineering)

Mr. Andrew Ahiaku (Barclays Bank)

Mr. Ahmad Hashemi (Dizengoff Ghana)

Mr. Baa (A1 Bread)

1. Gideon Konotey (Goat Masters)

Brooke Nuwati Anison (GNPC)

Michael Boateng (GIZ CAAADP ATVET)

Event modules

Mentorship Dialogue

Participants of AGSTUD Africa 2018 were provided mentorship opportunities to interact with industry stalwarts. These sessions saw mentors give advice to students on how to better position themselves for success in the agric industry.

Hackathon (Pitching)

Technology foundation, ISPACE trained participants on how to effectively use technology to advance ideas that will promote agric concepts that have huge marketing potential.

The idea behind this module was to help participants develop agric projects with the potential of solving known industry challenges.

Student Mentor Pairing

To address the challenge of inexperience among young school leavers and graduate alike, the event paired participants with seasoned industry personalities who assumed the role of mentors to the participants.

The idea is hinged on a larger plan which will see over 100 agribusiness take-off. The mentor –student relationship built during the event is expected to blossom long after the event to act as an avenue for bringing innovative pro-agric ideas to light.

This, the organisers believe will help alleviate the unemployment challenge that continues to bedevil the country.

Innovation Exhibitions

Exhibition boots were setup for participating students to showcase their ingenuity and exhibiting institutions didn’t disappoint.

All exhibitors were impressive with their conceptions which gave great enthusiasm that given the right support; the Ghanaian has indisputable ability to think, create and deliver excellence.

Dinner climax

To draw the curtains on the event, H.E. Former President Jerry John Rawlins hosted participants to lunch at his residence where participating students had the rare privilege of interacting with him. The former president who is a known agric enthusiast was visibly elated at the visit and admonished the students to prioritise their studies, to ensure that they leave school poised for the challenges inherent in the corporate world.

In his address to the students the, the ex-president recounted an incident where he handed the over control of an airplane he was manning to famous American, blind singer Stevie Wonder .He described how shocked he was when to his amazement the visually impaired singer steadily flew the plane before landing safely, unassisted.

According to the former president, the feat which many still find hard to believe is demonstration of what a man can do notwithstanding their circumstance or perceived limitations.

He assured that there were immeasurable opportunities in the agric sector and all participants had to do was, dream, work and achieve.

Awards

Innovation was rewarded at AGSTUD Africa 2018 as Asuansi Farm Institute carted away the prize for most innovative exhibition team. The team was able to prepare a mushroom kebab, wine, bread and chips; much to the delight of participants who took turns to enjoy the ingenious culinary treat by the Asuansi Farm Institute team.

Wenchi Senior High School   placed second with the design of a specialized machine that could pluck maize seeds off the cob into a receptacle. Many participants applauded the team, for creating an invention that could greatly decrease the time used for processing maize in large quantities when improved upon.

Kwadaso Agricultural College also proved their mettle by preparing cakes, tea-bags, lip-gloss, chips and cooking oil which were all derived from the moringa plant. The team placed third.

The winning team was rewarded by GIZ with an opportunity to attend the Agric Innovation Conference in Dakar, Senegal.

Foreign participants

In exploring the idea of giving future editions of the event an African outlook, Landmark University from Nigeria was invited to participate. The invitation was obliged and two female’s participants, a professor and a student were sent to partake in the event. The visiting Nigerian team delivered a stellar presentation of their own on the third and final day of the event.

Participants pleased

After the event there was a general consensus among participants that their time at the event was well spent. For some, the experience had left an indelible mark that they wouldn’t forget.

Acknowledging the impact of the event,Yaa Oguabi Osei-Mensah had kind words for the organizers.

“I am particularly grateful to the organizers for coming up with such a great initiative. This is the direction agric should be heading and am hopeful that other organizations in the industry will take a cue from what Agrihouse Foundation has done.” she concluded.

Corroborating the former’s commentary, another student representing ST. Johns Grammar,

Martha Nyame Baidoo, of ST. Johns Grammar thanked the organizers for giving her the Opportunity to better appreciate what opportunities the agric industry has to offer her after school.

The future

According to the organizers, plans are already at an advanced stage to build on the success of the event. The event was developed with a vision of becoming a yearly ritual for raising a formidable crop of agriculture professional to fill key industry roles in the foreseeable future.

Project Coordinator for Agrihouse Foundation, Miss Yoki Tee-Kodua expressed confidence that the event will be better in 2019.

“We are excited at the success we have achieved with this maiden edition of the event. We are however not going to rest on our oars; by this time next year, I am confident that we shall have a bigger, better and more impactful AGSTUD Africa 2019.

The plan is to create an event that will be renowned on the African continent as a hub for preparing fine talent for the agriculture industry labour market.” she concluded.

Several agric institutions have already expressed interest to participate in the next edition of the event slated for 2019.

Sponsorship

The event’s success is down to hard work, but beyond that, Agrihouse Foundation acknowledges the staunch partnership support received from a pool of establishments who showed faith in the potential of raising the next generation of skilled labour for the agric industry. AGSTUD Africa 2018 was collectively sponsored by, National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association (NFFAWAG),  Ministry of Food and Agriculture, ISPACE Foundation, Amplifiers, Goat Masters, Blue Skies, Dizengoff,  AFGRI John Deere and Yara Ghana.

In academic circles, the subject of socialization is generally defined as a process where an individual internalizes the norms and ideologies of society. This definition is a significant truism that anchors on the totality of our culture; which has agriculture as a fundamental feature.

Before modernity pulled our population from the hinterlands to cosmopolitan life, agriculture was the indisputable lifeblood of the Ghanaian nation; doubling as a prime job provider and food basket.

Today, if the definition of socialization will remain relevant, its role in the hugely important agriculture sector must be highlighted for society to appreciate the unique and important role of all agents of socialization; who collectively can jump-start the long overdue revival of Ghana’s agric sector.

The five (5) primary agents of socialization, identified as family, school, media, religion and peers have a comprehensive role to play if the prospects of the agric sector will shine bright soon. Put together, the agents of socialization have enormous influence that could take our agric sector to the lofty heights needed to re-establish it as the mainstay of the Ghanaian economy.

The Family

The family structure is regarded as the most important agent of socialization because it has the earliest and most enduring influence in the life of an individual. This makes it an ideal fit for “agro-socialization”.

Fact finding efforts aimed at reenergizing the agric sector have shown that, top of the pile of issues bedevilling agriculture in Ghana is a mentality problem. The mind-set of the youth especially regarding agric is deflating to say the least; and for a section of society in whose hands the future of Ghana lies, this analysis makes for grim reading.

Thankfully, Salvation appears not farfetched as the family represents the best institution to lead efforts at sensitising its young on the positive impact of agric on their lives and that of the society. The family is a useful ally that must be engaged to take active part in introducing agric to its young members especially as a path that leads to prosperity.

Every society is a reflection of prevalent family practices and believes. This means that if agric is suffering wrong image perfection today, the family system cannot be exonerated of blame. When agric was the pride and mainstay of the Ghanaian economy, it was because the indigenous family structure supported agric through and through. Those were the days when almost every Ghanaian child was conversant with the full life cycle of crops like cocoa, maize, cassava, yam, etc. A lot has happened since then and the agric sector though full of potential, has not fared greatly.

It’s time to turn the tide in favour of agric; and the family has a key role. Families in Ghana must be encouraged through public sensitisation to own at least one agric enterprise. Families could choose between ventures like poultry, bee, dairy, fish farming etc.

Because financial constraint is a steadfast reality for most Ghanaian homes, this ventures could be small-to medium scale; with their primary aim to provide quality and sufficient food at home. Additionally, this has the potential to cut off a substantial chunk of the countries unemployment pile as families who are fully engaged in other fields of endeavour would certainly employ the services of others to help. Through this, the awareness of the importance of agric would light up at the family level and ascend up to the larger society where it will blossom once again as Ghana’s job provider and food basket.

The School

Recent calls by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to resuscitate declining interest in agric education in basic school are a welcome development that requires the backing of all stakeholders. The call, if heeded will however be only a fraction of the massive work that remains to be done if schools will fully play their role in the development of agric in Ghana.

According to sociologists, school follows the family closely in order of importance as it represents the first port of call for children once their families consider them matured enough for formal education. This is why our school-system must commit to doing its best if efforts to give new life to agric will stand the test of time.

Practical aspects of agric must be allowed to gain root in our schools while theoretical lessons are also revised to become more appealing and state -of –the- art.

The practice in some boarding schools where crops from school farms are used to feed students must be encouraged nationally. However caution must be taken to ensure that it doesn’t rob students of contact time for other class lessons or become a source of cheap labour for unscrupulous school heads.

At the tertiary level, a revisit of the agric programs available to would- be undergraduates needs to be revised and relisted to encourage interest. University students should also be encouraged to produce research studies that would be reviewed and used to leverage efforts to develop the country’s agric sector.

The Media

As a cardinal agent of socialization, the role of the media is huge and multifaceted. The vibrant Ghanaian media through its   development- communication niche presents the country a useful tool for promoting agriculture.

Already, the presence of documentaries, TV talk shows, newspaper columns etc. is encouragement that the media is contributing to agric. The big question however is, how much more can the media do? The answer is obvious and emphatic-a lot more than it is currently doing.

First the media must leverage on its core mandate of educating the public by consistently designing and dishing content that would help rural folks especially; who represent a great percentage of Ghana’s agriculture workforce.

On social media the mainstream media, agric stakeholders must ignite an agricultural renaissance to awaken the consciousness of the youth towards agriculture as a means of sustainable employment. Also the media could through this mechanism package and frame agric in such a way that it becomes appealing to its teeming youth audience.

Musicians must lend their voice by not only designing jingles for paid agriculture promos but they must promote agriculture through their videos and lyrics. Also, local films must deliberately project themes and content that would chronicle how agric has and is continually changing lives.

For the ardent patrons of the numerous Mexican soap-opera on our local TV channels, it is not uncommon to see a lot of agro-cultural themes lined side- by- side the dominant theme of love. It’s often interesting to see how the Mexicans cherish and adore their horses and cattle. In fact there is hardly any one of such soap-operas without some reference or actual scene of a ranch. This is a brilliant example that our film makers must be encouraged to adopt. Bollywood and Hollywood are a representation of   cultures of India the United States respectively. Ghana’s Ghallywood and Kumawood must therefore ensure that our movie scripts are tailored to depict our culture-which has agriculture as its focal point.

Religion

As a country that prides itself as ‘God’s own country’ Ghana could do more to develop agriculture through religion. Religion is regarded a great deal in Ghana and its effort in education and healthcare provision is testament to the many roles it plays in national life. When it comes to the subject of agriculture however religion seems detached. This shouldn’t be the case as examples in neighbouring Nigeria have shown that religion can make enormous contributions to agric development.

In Nigeria, specifically in the north-east, local churches save a portion of the churches offertory and invest in agriculture every year. Because that region of the country is predominantly involved in farming, the churches find it convenient to invest in agric.

Most of the churches own large expanse of land which they convert to farmlands during farming seasons. For others the land is either rented or volunteered by devote church members. Once the land is secured, a day- usually within weekends is earmarked to work on the farm at designated dates.  Collectively, the yield harvested by churches from that region is thought to account for about 20% of crop harvest yield from the countries northeast.

For Ghana, the Nigerian example of religion’s involvement in agriculture is a practice worthy of emulation. The inroads made by Ghanaian religious bodies in health and education sectors is a positive indication that religion will be a formidable partner for driving Ghana’s agric sector towards development.

Peers

With government desperate to create jobs for Ghana’s teeming unemployed youth, agriprenuership has emerged as a viable mechanism for job creation. Start-up capital however remains a challenge that keeps most of the youth from venturing into the world of agriculture.

Generally, the youth look up to the government with hope but are often left unsatisfied by the magnitude of support that  meets their pleas for help from government. This impediment has caused big agric dreams and ideas to die off before they have a chance to see light of day.

This much publicised challenge has an unlikely but quite effective solution that the youth should explore. The youth could invest personal savings amongst groups of friends with similar agric ideas .Through this, they can raise enough funds to kick –start their agro initiatives.

There is strength in numbers and so the youth must take advantage of their peers by organising forums to discuss and share ideas that could make their journey into agriculture eventful, fun and fulfilling.

Conclusion

There is so much that can be done to infuse more zest in efforts to help the agric sector reclaim its pride of place among Ghana’s elite industries. Considering the huge importance of the sector, no effort is too big to make, if it guarantees development of the sector.

The focus has centred on government for too long; and if agriculture will succeed, deliberate efforts must be made to look elsewhere. Until this is done, help so desperately needed to grow the sector will simply lie untapped while we berate government for inadequate support.

Agriculture has enormous potential but this doesn’t mean it cannot thrive with simple but intelligent ideas. Sometimes all we need to do to push the sector is a simple, well -thought –of idea to be championed by someone or an entity other than the government.